In a message dated 96-06-01 23:34:11 EDT, you write:

>Date:    Sat, 1 Jun 1996 11:02:34 -0400
>From:    "Alison K. hazelbaker" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: sucking as a way to organize babies
>
>I absolutely agree with Barbara regarding babies needing sucking to help
them
>stay or get "organized".The problem is not with the concept of a bottle as a
>therapeutic device but how, when and why it is used. Certainly certain teats
>are going to promote better organization and it is our challenge to be sure
>we know how to accomplish that goal and which teats work best to achieve
that
>goal.
>
>I am not a proponent of cup feeding and never have been. It concerns me
>greatly that we have jumped onto a bandwagon without considering the
possible
>consequences of our actions. Cup feeding deprives an infant of sucking, it
is
>unphysiologic. In my experience, it causes poor coordination of suck,
>swallow, and breathe (breathing being the key component in all of this,
>because if you can't breathe, you certainly can't suck). Lapping milk out of
>a cup is unphysiologic. babies are meant to have a breast in their mouths
for
>feeding, to learn more about their world, for central nervous system
>regulation, and for comfort. If you look at the videos currently available
>that show cup feeding, you may be surprised to see some disorganized
infants.
>Are they disorganized because of the method of feeding, or were thaey that
>way before they were fed? That is the question. We must learn to look more
>closely at these babies so as to "first do no harm"
>
>There is no doubt that LCs are in a therapeutic position to need tools to
>help rectify babies' sucking difficulties. There are many tools available to
>help us do this. We need to consider which tool/intervention is going to
>achieve the goal of getting baby organized and effective enough to do a good
>job at breast, in the shortest period of time possible, without stressing
the
>baby out , or the rest of the family, in the process.
>
>i believe we must make our choice on a case by case basis and not think that
>one way or another is always the right way. Bottles may very well be the
best
>method in a particluar circumstance, cup feeding in another, and
>finger-feeding in another. No matter what, the method chosen should have as
>an end result a baby who goes back to breast and is able to stay organized
>and transferring milk well.
>
>Alison K. Hazelbaker
>
>------------------------------