Dear Dr. Nair,

Thanks for your response.  I don't feel I'm completely off track, and I do
believe I made an effort to make the point that I was basing what I said on
my personal experience.  That experience seems to point to a particular
obsession of *some* Indian physicians (trained in India), here in Canada,
who openly say (perhaps they are only more honest and more open about their
opinions), that "Indian women breastfeed too long", for example.  Who are
extremely willing to have the babies off the breast for maternal medication
or jaundice or whatever, and refuse to budge on these issues.  This is true
of all doctors, with only some enlightened ones, but I feel resistance
particularly on the part of Indian doctors.  This is much less so of Indian
physicians trained and/or born in Canada, who do not stand out from the
norm.  It is for this reason that I assumed that class had more to do with
it than "Western Ideas", flawed as these ideas are, agreed.

It is true I don't know much about India, and I am surprised by your saying
that most physicians come from the poorer classes.

Canada, of course, does have a class system of sorts, but it really is quite
fluid and I believe, as an immigrant myself, and as a child who grew up in a
relatively poor family, and from a "racial group" who was disdained in
Canadian society (even now a little), that moving through that class system
(in either direction) is much easier than in most societies.

I also hope you realize that I did not mean, and I mention it too, that I
was not referring to all physicians who are Indian, even in Canada.

As far as having a Baby Friendly nation, I can only congratulate you on the
work you have done.  We are far from it in Canada, at least partially
because we have an obstructionist government who doesn't even understand
what the issues are, though they talk a good talk at the WHA.

As far as doctor bashing is concerned, I feel that some is required.  We
cannot just say, after mother after mother is inappropriately advised about
breastfeeding, when doctor after doctor (not Indian doctors) refuse to read
the literature, refuse to even consider changing their ways, despite the
American Academy's guidelines which say otherwise to what they are doing,
"Very good, Dr. X, quite right, thank you for your opinion and I'm sure this
baby is now much better off on formula".  When dialogue is refused, the
weaker person resorts to whatever weapon he can find.  I think that would
account for a lot of the doctor bashing you see and object to on Lactnet.  I
think you will also see all sorts of praise of physicians who at least will
take the time to consider an alternate approach.

I've said it before, and I will say it again.  I am willing to be knocked
down for saying and doing the wrong thing.  I accept your statement of my
ignorance of things Indian.  I don't have a bruised ego, and I will try to
be more thoughtful in the future.  Can we not expect the same thing of a
physician who tells a mother that she will damage the brain of her child if
she continues breastfeeding because she is passing antithyroid antibodies to
him in her milk, and when it is pointed out to him that this is not
possible, maintains his stance?

I would be pleased to come one day to Oman.  I will look you up.

Jack Newman, MD, FRCPC