Hi Marsha,
I am well aware of the list and obviously agree that each of these [and
those which have been referred to in later literature] are damaging. The
point is though that the risk factors are really rather low. In deference to
this I strongly believe that we are on ethically shaky ground if we worry
people and scare them with stories of what will happen to AF babies. I think
it is much stronger to point out that BF can reduce risks - it is the same
point but it is positive selling rather than negative. I always feel that
negative selling is only undertaken by those who are not articulate enough
to postulate and develop and argument. Let us accept that most formula fed
babies do not suffer from these ailments - but there is clearly an increased
risk [but total incidence remains low!]

The point about IQ points remains controversial with studies which are
weakened by a lack of class admixture i.e. there is some evidence that in
many cases social factors are not adjusted for....

>So, although, there is no lasting
> damage that you can SEE, it can still be said to affect my life
This is totally in the realms of conjecture. Nobody can prove you would - or
would not - be brighter.

>but that our complacency with formula is
> so complete that staff do not see the harm of giving a bottle to a
> breastfeeding baby, which is sometimes just enough interference to give a
> struggling mom cause to give up and switch over.  If we are militant, it
is
> because this is not fair to women or to babies, and it is not smart.
I do not condone such action and would rollock staff who did such a stupid
and insensitive act! On the other hand militancy has failed and leads to
names such as 'breastfeeding mafia' or 'breastapo' being used. We need to
take staff with us and can only do this by being professional and
intelligent. If we can win the battle with HCPs who are a tad recalcitrant
then the word will be spread to parents. Do note that there are many HCPs
[like myself] who promote breastfeeding but do not take kindly to being
lambasted just because we are HCPs!

Do note that whilst one can emotionally damage by destroying the dream of
breastfeeding it is also possible to do the same if one demonises formula.
Some women will fail [and yes I know they need not, but in the real world it
happens]. How do we then support them if we have previously told them that
formula will scar them even if we cannot see the damage.

Tony Knox



----- Original Message -----
From: "Glass, Marsha" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, June 22, 2001 8:46 PM
Subject: Warm chain


> Tony wrote, and Kathy D quoted,  "However, I do feel that we need to
accept
> that in the vast majority of cases formula feeds do NOT damage children",
> and Kathy quite succinctly pointed out that research does not support this
> statement.   This makes me think of the editorial in Lancet in 1994,
called
> A Warm Chain for Breastfeeding, which I have used in every staff inservice
> I've given for the last several years.  If I may quote,
>
> "There is a growing list of conditions associated with artificial feeding,
> including insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and multiple sclerosis.  In
> New Zealand and the USA, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is commoner
in
> bottle-fed infants.... Premature babies fed on formula are more likely to
> die from necrotising enterocolitis than those fed on breast milk.
> Intolerance and allergy to cow's milk products affect as many as 7.5% of
> children, including some supposedly fully breastfed infants who were given
> prelacteal formula in the maternity ward.  Bottle feeding contributes to
> dental decay and malocclusion.  Several studies have shown that the
> intellectual development of breastfed children is slightly but
significantly
> better than that of the children fed artificially."
>
> I read that list, which has been added to since 1994, and wonder which of
> these effects are considered NOT damaging?  Even otitis media, though it
may
> be healed without lasting effect, can not be said to be "not damaging" to
> the baby while it is happening.  And what's a few IQ points?  I, like many
> who are breastfeeding advocates, was formula fed.  I'd tell you what I'd
> like to do with a few more IQ points!  So, although, there is no lasting
> damage that you can SEE, it can still be said to affect my life.   I have
> bent over backwards not to appear judgmental or confrontational to staff
in
> my support of breastfeeding mothers, but too often, it is not that we are
> judgmental of formula feeding moms, but that our complacency with formula
is
> so complete that staff do not see the harm of giving a bottle to a
> breastfeeding baby, which is sometimes just enough interference to give a
> struggling mom cause to give up and switch over.  If we are militant, it
is
> because this is not fair to women or to babies, and it is not smart.
> Damage?  You bet there's damage.  What about moms who give up and, quoting
> from that same editorial, "carry the disappointment and pain with her
> always; her emotional reaction to other women who breastfeed can interfere
> with her ability to help them, whether they be friends, members of her
> family, or, if she is a health worker, her patients."  My guess is that
some
> of the emotional investment we see battling against us is from these same
> women who were unsuccessful themselves or, at the least, emotionally
unable
> to admit that they gave less than the best to their baby.
>
> As has been said, our focus should be on informing, encouraging and
> supporting, not belittling.  But it is not belittling to tell the truth,
> however much someone may not want to hear it.  On Lactnet, we tell the
> unvarnished truth, which isn't necessarily the way we communicate it to
> other members of the health care team
> Marsha.
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Marsha Glass RN, BSN, IBCLC
> Mothers have as powerful an influence over the welfare of future
generations
> as all other earthly causes combined.
> John S. C. Abbot
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
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