Magda, good to see you posting on Lactnet :)


>   Indeed, since the UK introduced our own national chart into 
>parent-held records in the 1990's, I actually think there has been a 
>negative influence of giving women their baby's growth chart and the 
>use of a chart rather than previous system of giving weight change 
>in numbers of ounces may itself have had a negative impact.


I agree -  this is purely impressionistic, but I  get a lot of 
impressions talking to a lot of women!

I share Magda's view that the WHO charts are a welcome development, 
not in themselves so much as in the way they spark debate and 
questioning.

I don't see a huge problem with current UK charts in themselves but 
the understanding of how to use them and how to interpret them for 
professionals and for parents is woeful.

>I have not seen the WHO training materials, but if their mere 
>existence sparks practitioners to question current practice, that 
>will be brilliant.
>While poor weighing practice continues, the impact of changing the 
>chart will be minimal.  After all, a poor workman easily blames her 
>tools.


True.

My other bugbear about this is the continued use of spring balance 
scales to weigh newborns, and to base clinical assessment (how well 
is this baby feeding?) and clinical interventions (should this baby 
have formula/EBM?) solely on what an inevitably inaccurate piece of 
equipment is saying.

Are there any studies on the accuracy of spring balance scales? An 
engineer who specialised in this told me spring balances can only be 
accurate to +/- 10 per cent.....and  if this is true, then weighing 
newborns on them is utterly pointless.

Heather Welford Neil
NCT bfc, tutor, UK

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