Absolutely agree.
The most useful tools a mother can own are in her possession at all times - her hands and her brain! Jean's simple but effective reverse pressure softening combined with well-done manual expression (for more than 15 seconds!) are the most critical "techniques" a mother can use to enable her baby to latch on in the 2nd to 5th day of life (or beyond). They combat over-hydration or hbp-induced edema, prevent babies from developing compensatory but ineffective latching techniques, etc. I voted for Jean's presentation as well as Dee Kassing's bottle-feeding technique (which is for AFTER the train has left the station), and Rebecca Mannel's staffing analysis for hospitals. And to get this all in one email for today - what is the EVIDENCE that says that block feeding is the ideal cure for oversupply in all women? Or that pacifiers are really just fine? The variables are not accounted for - such as in oversupply - the differences in storage capacity, or in pacifier research - the type of pacifier used. All things are not created equal, just like all bottles are not equal, all babies are not equal, all mothers are not equal. Many of us could use a good course in research methods and statistical analysis to help level the playing field and help make us better critics of what's out there. It's not just the funding of the study that's important. And just to mix it up a little, the gold standard - double blind studies - are not always possible with something as personal as breastfeeding. And even THOSE require someone to have an idea, postulate that it works (from experience) then design and do a study of sufficient magnitude to verify its validity. And while I'm at it, there is always a bias underlying every researcher's point of view. That's why we never see published studies that don't coincide with the sponsor's goals - (well, unless it's anti-breastfeeding or says it doesn't really matter). Getting off my soapbox now.
-----Original Message-----
From: Lactation Information and Discussion [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Rachel Myr
Sent: Friday, April 24, 2009 8:48 AM
Subject: advertising policy in JHL
Haven't received my issue yet, but am chagrined to hear that Lansinoh has now got the back cover for its expensive, at best unnecessary and at worst harmful thingamajig called 'Latch assist'. It seems the department responsible for advertising does not read the journal itself, or they might have realized that the reasoning behind Latch assist is the diametric opposite of the reasoning behind reverse pressure softening, coincidentally the topic of the JHL article by Jean Cotterman which was voted 'most useful'
the year it was published.
It is beyond me how anyone could argue that a device requiring cleaning, assembling and probably two hands to apply, is less cumbersome than using the fingers of one hand to exert gentle pressure to relieve edema while one cradles the baby in the other. Hands come free of charge already assembled and cleaning is simple, as is storage in between uses.
The marketing materials for this product undermine breastfeeding by implying strongly that breastfeeding is difficult, frought with problems requiring technical solutions, and probably not even normal. Rather than re-write the WHO Code on marketing of breastmilk substitutes and feeding bottles and teats, I would welcome a similar document on so-called 'breastfeeding products' in which one of the first points would be that states should forbid the sales of any such products whose safety and efficacy were not demonstrated through well-designed independent research.
Harumph harumph.
Rachel Myr
Kristiansand, Norway, where spring has sprung
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