heather wrestled with a keyboard and this emerged:
> an icterometer (mentioned on this list a week or so ago!) which is a
> pocket-held colour-matching tool costing 20 US dollars; staff learning to
> train their eyes; and lab blood sample ordered when there is a reading of
> 3.5 on the icterometer.
I, not being in a position where the numbers are crucial but often
needing to buttress a mom's flagging resolve, use the baby as it's
own comparison tool. Since the color goes into the palms and soles
last, I hold the baby's palm up to it's face, then it's tummy. That
way any individual skin tones that might otherwise be confusing are
eliminated. It really impresses the moms when they can see that the
color is leaving the baby, washed out by their milk. It gives them a
marker that they can use themselves instead of relying on their
doctor's scale and lab for good news.
I once showed up to a first PP visit and found an Oompa Loompa baby
with jaundice down to the hands--visiting nurse had said it was just
baby's skin tone inherited from dad. They were bottle feeding so I
had them call ped. One week later, voila! Undertones clear as a
bell.
In answer to the question, we are missing frequent in-home post-
partum support. New moms and dads sometimes don't know the things
that are really important, they're concerned about baths and pictures
and doing all their normal pre-baby stuff. There has to be someone
to come and check and really see how things are going, who doesn't
see the baby almost every minute of every day and can see the subtle
changes. Someone who isn't sleep-deprived! Grandmom, aunt,
neighbor, visiting nurse (and more than one visit and not the nurse
mentioned above!), friend, postman, anyone!
Hey, when did I climb on this soapbox? Oh, I never left it!
Regards,
Beth
--
Beth Johnson, CBE, ICCE, Doula
Certified Breastfeeding Educator
ICEA Certified Chilbirth Educator
Post-Partum Doula
http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/9235/
Only breastfed babies are Y2K compliant.
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