I recently sent and email out to all of the staff at my hospital warning of
Ezzo's comming visit and how their teachings were contrary to the BFHI and
Ministry of Health guidlines.  I gave them the www.ezzo.info website and
asked that they be prepared as his influence was great in the U.S. (where I
was last nursing).  I received one very negative email and a phone call at
my home from ezzo supporters.  I have to say this rattled me a little.  Not
my conviction that Ezzo is dead wrong. But I think it is the whole being a
woman and not really cherishing confrontation.  Here is a copy of the
letter I wrote back to the emailer.  I suppose I just need to hear some
support from others who have delt with this sort of thing.
Dear …..,
Lets agree to disagree.  I do see your point about not throwing the baby
out with the bath water.  I am not opposed to everything that Gary Ezzo
says, but I have very strong concerns about scheduled feedings.  I have
been employed to ensure that our hospital is following Unicef and World
Health Organization guidelines encompassed in the Baby Friendly Hospital
Initiative.  This means following the 10 steps that have been identified as
key factors in supporting breastfeeding in the hospital system.  When the
steps aren’t followed studies have shown that the likelihood of families
successfully breastfeeding diminishes.  Step 8 of this Initiative is
to “Encourage breastfeeding on demand.”  The reasons for this are
physiological.  When a baby is allowed to feed when it is showing feeding
cues and then is allowed to feed for as long as it needs to in order to
satisfy its hunger, two very important things happen.  The infant receives
a tailor made feeding to its own unique needs, and the mothers body will
set off a hormonal chain of which the end result will be milk supply that
is tailor made for her infant.

Prescription feeding will meet the nutritional needs of some babies.  I am
not challenging this fact.  But what I am concerned about are the babies
that are showing up in hospitals because their nutritional needs are not
being met while they are on clock mandated feeding schedules.  The American
Academy of Paediatrics issued a media warning about scheduled
feedings.  “….Scheduled feedings designed by parents may put babies at risk
for poor weight gain and dehydration.”  This warning was issued due to the
number of cases of infants who were in need of medical treatment due to
parent led feedings in the United States.

You wrote in your email, “…I appreciate your concerns and realise that you
are qualified to speak out,
but try doing it in a way that is not so slanderous, and give people credit
for making up there own mind....”
I agree that my email presented only one side.  This is how I feel about
the issue.  The definition of slander is saying something about someone
that is untrue.  There was nothing stated in my email that was not fact.
One sided yes, slanderous no.  The reason I presented this side is due to
my concern that many of the families whose children were hospitalised
following the guidelines set out in this program, were not given the other
side of the coin.  Therefore, I thought it imperative that the families in
New Zealand get the chance to hear both sides and then make up their own
mind.  The email was directed to clinicians and educators who work in
public health.  The Ministry of Health advocates BFHI, and therefore, the
clinicians deserve a right to be prepared for intelligent debate when the
subject comes up.

I am passionate about the subject but that is because I work in it every
day.  As for knowing if I am right…I suppose only God knows that.  I am
working off of researched based practice, experienced clinical intuition,
and a passion for babies and their rights to have their basic needs met.
This is all I can do.  I hope you understand the reason for the email a bit
more now.  I would encourage you to also go to the following website and
read this as it might help you to understand why I am  concerned enough to
open myself up to criticism.   www.ezzo.info.

Sincerely,
Mandi Porta, RN, IBCLC

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