Hi Sue,
I think you did the right thing. Parents, co-workers, and MDs all need to
be aware that parents have a right to be given full and accurate information
about their own and their baby's health. It the info given by an MD is less
than accurate, I just tell the parents that research on breastfeeding has
expanded enormously in the past 10 years, and that many of the docs have not
caught up. And that because my specialty is lactation, I make it my
business to be familiar with the research.
If you have a relationship with the doc in question, you could send
him/her some research - based info on breastfeeding and jaundice, as well as
info on risks of supplementation (just a few bottles can change the baby's
gut flora for up to a month, increase baby's risk of allergies, and
compromise mom's milk supply if he did not advise her to pump while she is
supplementing).
Good luck, Sue, and let me know how it goes.
Martha Johnson RN IBCLC
Eugene OR
-----Original Message-----
From: Susan Kasten [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Friday, June 22, 2001 12:47 AM
Subject: ethics question
Hi all,
I work at a community telephone triage service, and I handle a lot of BF
calls. Tonight the Mom calling had a 4 day old (born Sunday) with a
bili of 17. The pediatrician had her pumping and feeding half breast
milk and half formula because the formula would flush it out sooner.
Today the Mom asked if she could put the baby to breast and the peds
said no! She wanted to continue this half and half bottle feeding.
When I said 17 wasn't really high, she said the doc had said that they
wouldn't start to worry until it was 20 and really worry at 25! I said
something about research showing that you don't need formula, and that
to continue breastfeeding was best for the baby. My co-worker asked me
about contradicting the doc. I told her I really didn't feel that I had
(I never said she was wrong, or an idiot, or she shouldn't do it that
way), but that I had offered her evidence based information. I felt
that was appropriate. My co-worker was concerned. Granted my co-worker
is not an IBCLC, but I felt my responsibility was to give correct
information, and could have gone into more detail, but the Mom had not
asked, and offered that she was talking with an LC in the am. What do
some of you think about this situation?
Thanks,
Sue Kasten
Eugene, Oregon, USA
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