Hello all,
 
Ok.  That’s it! I’m finally coming out of lurkdom to introduce myself
and comment on this confounding statement.  My name is Carmen Clark and
I’m a breastfeeding mother of 4 wonderful sons ages 13½, 11, 8½, and 4½
.  I have been lactating for the nearly 14 years, nursing through
pregnancy, tandem nursing, triple tandem nursing, bed-sharing, and
nighttime nursing. I’ve been a LLL Leader for 7½ years.  I’m also a
birth and postpartum doula. And I’m awaiting Exam results.  
 
In the section “Relationship between Breastfeeding and SIDS” of the
statement, it admits to breastfeeding’s  “possible protective effect
against SIDS.” But it goes on to say “…epidemiologic studies have not
been consistent…some studies show protective effect…others do not.
Case-control studies demonstrate a protective effect of breastfeeding
against SIDS in univariate analysis but not when confounding factors are
taken into account.  These results suggest that factors associated with
breastfeeding, rather than breastfeeding itself, are protective…the task
force believes that the evidence is insufficient to recommend
breastfeeding as a strategy to reduce SIDS.”  But then in their
recommendations they are instructing parents to bring baby into the
room, and suck on a pacifier.  So keeping your baby close and
encouraging frequent arousal by sucking throughout the night are not
factors associated with breastfeeding?  Why not encourage breastfeeding?
Imagine if it actually stated that “Breastfeeding reduces the risk of
SIDS.”  Ok, then let’s rephrase it “a la Weissinger” and we get “Not
breastfeeding increases the risk of SIDS.”  And if we take it another
step further, we get “Feeding artificial baby milk increases the risk of
SIDS.”   Now that would really get the point across.  One can dream.
 
However, I do wonder how many parents who instinctively wanted to
breastfeed and bed-share and not use pacifiers will be discouraged from
doing so by this statement.  But I also wonder how many parents who give
their babies a 6 ounce bottle of formula and shut their babies off in a
separate bedroom for 8 hours a night will bring their babies into their
rooms even if with a pacifier in their mouth. At least the statement
recommends that babies should be kept is close proximity to parents for
the first year.  So some babies may get better nighttime parenting.  I’m
glad that it recommends not overdressing babies to sleep. I often hear
from parents whose babies are angels at night.  Then they come to
meetings and that little angel is dressed in a onesie, an outfit, a
bunting, a light blanket and a heavy blanket.  It takes the whole
meeting to get this baby to wake up and nurse.  
 
I think once the parents get into working out the details of parenting
through baby’s sleep in the way this statement recommends, we’ll start
seeing either some more instinctive parenting or some REALLY frustrated
parents.  Somehow it is all going to unravel one day I think sooner than
later.
 
Carmen 
(In Teaneck, NJ where it has been raining hard all day long.) 
 

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