Hi All

For more information on the efficacy and use of periodontal syringes
(specifically the Monoject 412) I would encourage contacting the
Lactation Institute in Encino California.
www.lactationinstitute.org
They offer an annual intensive seminar (4 full days) on Neonatal suck
evaluation.

Some general thoughts: All tools have risks and benefits. Not knowing
how/when to appropriately use a tool can limit its effectiveness. And
not every tool will fit every problem. Thus it is up to us who work with
breastfeeding dyads to know what's out there and how to use it (or
why/when -not- to use it). Each nursing dyad has unique needs.

Back to using syringes, specifically periodontal or "p syringes".
At the Lactation Institute the IBCLC who is working with the mother will
first demonstrate how to use the p syringe. She will work with mother
(and father or other helpers) until they are confident and proficient
enough to do so individually. They also include a hand-out which gives
information on how to do syringe feeding properly. Thus this tool is not
to one to be handed out, but one that requires a lot of support and
follow up.

The handout states, "When the curved part of the syringe is carefully
braced on the breast or finger and only 1/16th of an inch (about 1.5mm)
of the tip enters the corner of the baby's mouth, the tip's sharpness
does not bother the baby."
Medela also makes a "Soft tip" cover which fits snugly on the syringe
tip.

The opening of the tip of the p syringe is quite narrow (more so than a
regular syringe, I do not have dimensions). Also, with the plunger you
have a good control over the bolus of milk, perhaps (?) more so than
with a Hazelbaker.

The key point I want to make is that each tool has pluses and minuses,
-not- one tool is "better" than another. It depends. It depends on what
we know about how to use a tool, how effective we are at teaching the
use of the tool, what problems and issues the dyad are facing, what the
mother wants to achieve, what tools she is able to cope with. It
depends. I think syringe feeding is certainly worth learning about as a
tool for our boxes. Just my thoughts...

Warmly,
Aileen Emerling IBCLC
Tokyo Japan

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