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Subject:
From:
Diane Wiessinger <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Fri, 17 Sep 1999 16:13:04 -0400
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> I do believe that almost all health care professionals want the best for
>their patients.

I certainly find it hard *not* to believe that.  But something seems to
change when breastfeeding is involved.

Common sense, 13,000 studies, virtually all the most current research,
documents ranging from the UN to the AAP, all these indicate that *formula
causes harm*.  That the only positive thing formula does, in any normal
baby, is provide a tolerable source of calories when breastmilk is withheld.
 I don't *think* cardiology, neurosurgery, endocrinology are as persistent
in ignoring the research and clinging to old beliefs.  Maybe I'm wrong
there.

But I work very hard to give mothers the best I can give, and to find them
resources to fill in the gaps in my knowledge and skills.  I keep up with my
field.  I try new things that don't necessarily "sit" right if significant
research supports them;  I abandon cherished ideas if research tells me I'm
wrong.  I try to provide full information, in a compassionate, supportive
way.  I try always to remember that I'm a paid employee, not a dictator.
*And I just don't see these same efforts in most of the medical care
facilities and providers around me - at least not when it comes to
breastfeeding.*

I think that for some reason I truly can't fathom, the medical world has an
underlying hostility toward breastfeeding and breastmilk that doesn't exist
toward, say, exercise or blood.  And I don't think I'm paranoid.

An analogy, if I may:

A Doctor of  Veterinary Medicine, owner of a practice limited to large
animals, hires an assistant.  While the assistant is not a DVM, she is a
highly skilled veterinary assistant and has advanced training in equine
medicine.  The vet knows of her specialized training, but did not hire her
specifically for it.

One day, passing her at her desk, he sees a horse calendar on her bulletin
board, turned to a page that says, ³Hoof disease is more common in horses
who are bedded on clover.²  Suppose for a moment that that statement, which
I made up because I don't know anything about horses, is actually supported
by current research.  Let's say the veterinarian is unfamiliar with that
connection, though the research has appeared in mainstream veterinary
journals for several years.

What comment might the veterinarian make as he passes by?  Remember that he
knows this assistant has advanced training in equine medicine.  Think about
his comment.  Imagine it.  Don't read on until you do.

The real story involved a pediatric practice that hired a Nurse
Practitioner. Although she was also an IBCLC, she was not hired for her
lactation specialty.  Her boss passed her bulletin board, on which was a
calendar (Linda Smith's, in fact) turned to a page that said, ³Otitis media
is more common in artificially fed babies,² with supporting references
beneath it.  The comment the pediatrician made?  ³What is this crap?²

In your wildest imaginings, did you picture the vet saying that?  Why did
the pediatrician?  And why, why, why are there so many like him?

Diane Wiessinger, MS, IBCLC  Ithaca, NY

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