I think we should cease and desist from discussing whatever flaws there may
be in the study in the Journal of Pediatrics unless we have read the study
itself.  I am absolutely appalled that it is possible for health care
professionals to get CME points for reading an on-line pared down summary of
a published study, plus quotes from an editorial in the same issue of the
journal in which the study was published, and answering a few questions
about the content of the blurb on Medscape.

Unless you have read the entire study in the original journal, you really
don't have grounds on which to praise or criticize it, and certainly no
grounds on which to say you have absorbed the gist of it.
Several of the posts on Lactnet seem to be about a different article from
the one I read on Medscape.  The one I read did not say that only smokers
should be concerned, it said that it was babies under 11 weeks who seemed to
be most at risk.  This Medscape article left me with many concerns and
questions.  

The only thing they mentioned in the news article that was the basis for
CMEs was that there was a study in the latest issue of the Journal.  They
did not even give the title of the article, nor name all the authors.  The
reference given is J Pediatr. 2005;147:6-7, 32-37 so those of you with
access to the journal could take a look.  The article is 10 pages long; the
news item took about 10 minutes to read if you read carefully.  It scares me
to think that any health care provider could believe she was really doing
something worthwhile and substantial to improve her knowledge base by
carrying out such an activity for points.

Rachel Myr
Leaving tomorrow for the ICM Congress in Brisbane, Australia, where I expect
to get some REAL improved knowledge from my colleagues in midwifery who are
presenting their original research there

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