Dear Barbara,

I'm not sure from your post what is the context of the quotes that you used.  If this book deals mainly with babies who have some type of basic dysfunction, then I think that it is logical to state that indeed, some infants do find breastfeeding to be difficult and do have to be supplemented in addition to being fed at the breast.  The production of milk is a "natural" event, biologically triggered by pregnancy and birth.  The act of breastfeeding, while containing some instinctual aspects, is mostly a learned experience dependent upon many factors.  If the authors are stating that it is difficult for all dyads and will usually require supplementation, then that is certainly a gross misstatement.  If they are referring to a small subset of infants with known problems, then it sounds fairly accurate to me.  How does the book treat the basic act of breastfeeding?  Is the physiology, as we know it, presented correctly?  Using outdated and incorrectly attributed references is, of course, not too professional.

When addressing professionals in other disciplines, I think it best to start with known inaccuracies dealing with anatomy and physiology.  Lambasting their conclusions based on their observations is a lot trickier, because you are basically deriding their professional judgement, which is really at the heart of many professions, including lactation consulting.  As knowledge increases, observations become more astute and our conclusions are more apt to be accurate and helpful to the client.

Am going to be attending a Wolf and Glass seminar next month.  The sponsors told me that not too many LC's have signed up so far, mostly OT's.  It should be interesting.  Hope to see some of you there.
Warmly,
Sharon Knorr, BSMT, ASCP, IBCLC
Newark, NY (near Rochester on Lake Ontario)
mailto:[log in to unmask]

             ***********************************************
The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html