In a message dated 12/22/98 1:29:11 PM Central Standard Time,
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<< In a case where more than 10% of weight had been lost in the first week
 after birth, I would be so careful and want to know if the weight loss had
 bottomed out or was going on farther. This gets into a scary area for me. How
 does everyone else feel? Warmly, Nikki Lee >>

I agree to disagree with Jack too.  The proof is in the pudding!  I think LC's
loose credibility when the doc wants to know the baby's birth weight,
discharge weight & current weight and the LC simply replies that the baby
"looks fine to me."  Babies can "look just fine" one minute and then crash &
burn the next minute. To simply blow off the baby's weight (gain or loss) as
unimportant seems awful cavelier and potentially dangerous to the baby.  To
use the excuse that the scales may not be calibrated is too simplistic.  To
advise against weighing infants seems somewhat self-serving in that I don't
think you really want to know what the baby's weight is because you are afraid
that it has lost too much weight and that will be used as an excuse to
supplement the baby.  Instead of addressing the real issue, adequate
breastmilk & proper breastfeeding, you simply "ignore" the facts because you
don't want to know the facts because you might not like what you see.  Again,
it seems like you are willing to gamble with the infant's life just because
you don't want to see any reason nor excuse to question breastfeeding.  See no
evil, hear no evil & speak no evil!  The scales and weight be damned, full
speed ahead!  And what about those 1-2% of moms who do NOT produce adequate
nor sufficient breastmilk as the infant slowly "dries up" and drifts away.
Are you really willing to let them be the sacrificial lambs?  Why heck, we
changed the entire immunization schedule from all OPV to all eIPV JUST to save
4-8 children a year from VAPP!  No infant should be put at unnecessary risk
just because you don't want to weigh them.  Perhaps a subtle difference here
between most peds & LC's is that we are not willing to sacrifice one for the
good of the many!  I would rather every infant be bottle-fed and live than for
one infant to die for the sake of breastfeeding.  The world does NOT need
anymore heroes nor martyrs!
IMHO
Andrew MD
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