I think we are headed down a very slippery slope if we say we don't need evidence, or if our intuition tells us something different - that's okay to ignore the evidence. Not all "evidence" is created equal. Many studies are poorly done. Many things are not studied and anectdotal evidence is all we have. I would love to see more research done around the things we recommend in lactation. It's one of my huge frustrations.
But I can't tell you how many times the "other side" has said things like "my baby was formula fed and he is very healthy, the healthies kid I know" or "my kid used a pacifier and it didn't cause any of the problems you're talking about". Thankfully we have sound "evidence" to refut comments like this. I don't agree that we can't recommend something if there is no evidence, but I sure think we need to make evidence based practice our goal.
Andrea Tran RN, IBCLC
Erie/Boulder, Colorado
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