LACTNET Archives

Lactation Information and Discussion

LACTNET@COMMUNITY.LSOFT.COM

Options: Use Forum View

Use Monospaced Font
Show Text Part by Default
Show All Mail Headers

Message: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Topic: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Author: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]

Print Reply
Subject:
From:
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Thu, 29 Jul 2004 11:09:55 +0800
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (61 lines)
On 29/07/2004, at 10:51, Marsha Glass wrote:

> There is definitely something to be said for clear evidence.  It has
> changed behavior in many people as Katherine notes.  However, there is
> also something to be said for logic and intuition as well.  [snip]
> We don't all have to have evidence for every last thing, to make a
> reasonable observation that something is or is not good for us.

When you're making decisions for yourself, sure. However, when you're a
health professional making recommendations to a group of your
clients/patients, I believe that you need to be able to justify any
recommendations with evidence - or be _very_ clear that the
recommendation you are making is not evidence-based, but your own
opinion.

Intuition tells me that drinking any alcohol while breastfeeding, or
taking antidepressants or painkillers or antibiotics, would quite
possibly be more perilous to my baby than artificial feeding - and we
know from experience that a lot of so-called "health professionals" are
basing their advice to breastfeeding women on this sort of faulty
reasoning!

However, I have now read the scientific evidence that taking these
substances in moderation is almost certainly completely safe, and is
definitely safer than artificial feeding. In this case, my
recommendations (and my own behaviour) are based on the evidence, not
on the gut feelings I had before I did the research.

>   By this logic
> then, some people *do* need scare tactics.  After all, what are Smokey
> the Bear and the Crash Test Dummies anyway?  They did not sing the
> praises of not lighting fires in a dry forest or wearing seat belts.
> They showed the hazards of the undesirable behavior.

Proven hazards, not opinions based on no concrete evidence. That is the
difference.

There are very few substances that contraindicate breastfeeding. Will
THC turn out to be one of those substances? We don't know. (I suspect
probably not, but have an open mind). Meanwhile, I'm more than happy to
admit this uncertainty to the mothers I deal with, and let them make
their own decisions, without making value judgements on their lifestyle
choices. I enjoy my glass of shiraz at night, and continued to enjoy
this while feeding my son. For me to dismiss a mother who takes
moderate THC as an "undesirable" in need of firm lecturing from me
based on my opinions, would be utter hypocrisy.

Lara Hopkins

             ***********************************************

To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail
To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest)
To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
All commands go to [log in to unmask]

The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(R)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html

ATOM RSS1 RSS2