If we're allowed to name brand names, we are VERY happy at our hospital with
Comfort-Aid gel pads made by Southwest Technologies.  Their phone number is
800-247-9951, email [log in to unmask]  However, I was just at our local ILCA
affiliate conference tonight and apparently these dressings are now going to
be marketed by the Materna people.

We had been using hydrogel dressings on damaged nipples for several years,
but noticed that a fairly significant number of women got mastitis (as also
reported by research comparing hydrogel dressings to Lansinoh).  The
Comfort-Aid pads are glycerin-based as opposed to water and whatever else are
in standard hydrogel dressings, and apparently do not support bacterial
growth.  Since we switched over to these pads probably six months ago, and
have handed out MANY pairs, we have not had a single mother using them get
mastitis.  The same set can be used longer than the hydrogel, also, making
them cost-effective, and they have a nice cotton side so they don't slide
around in the bra.  We think they're great and so do the mothers.

Becky Krumwiede, RN, IBCLC
Appleton, Wisconsin
LC at hospital with 1250 births/year

             ***********************************************
The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html