And everyday I hear stupid quotes from local peds like this one: "You know the only reason why women breastfeed is because it's cheaper." Hello! Why of why do these guys still practice? Why not send away breastfeeding moms to a friendly practice? Ugh!
-----Original Message-----
From: Lactation Information and Discussion [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Debra Swank
Sent: Friday, February 28, 2014 12:08 AM
Subject: Re: Venting-long
Michele,
Regarding your need to vent about the puzzling pediatric management of tongue-tie: Of course the problem goes back to the lack of education in medical school, and festers from there.
Maybe we should be grateful that things have improved as much as they have. If you ever look through a copy of the original Gray's Anatomy text from the 1850's, what is said about the female breast is not much more than the normal darkening of the areola in early pregnancy, a "helpful" sign for the physician when examining a woman who is attempting to falsely claim her virginity prior to a pending marriage. I was slack-jawed to read that textbook reminder of how very difficult life was for women in the past - - not that I was unaware of this, but unaware that an anatomy text would reflect and reinforce an era's thinking to such an extent.
I first learned about the American Academy of Pediatrics' Work Group on Breastfeeding and Human Milk when their long-awaited policy statement came out in December 1997. I was working for West Virginia WIC at the time, and even before the AAP policy statement was formally released, there was an excited anticipation among WIC management about its pending release.
I'm deeply grateful to the American Academy of Pediatrics' Work Groups on Breastfeeding (Ruth Lawrence, Audrey Naylor, Lawrence Gartner, and other Saints among us) for their push for education of young physicians undertaking their pediatric residencies. There's a formal curriculum now:
http://www2.aap.org/breastfeeding/curriculum/
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/126/2/289.short
https://www2.aap.org/breastfeeding/healthProfessionaIsResourceGuide.html#breastfeedingEducationForHealthProfessionalshe American Academy of Pediatrics'
http://www.partnersnhealth.org/index.php?option=m_content&view=ticle&id9:bf-resident-training&catid :success-stories&ItemidP6
In spite of these great strides, there's quite a way to go, according to this study:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21272827
In 2007, I contacted a representative at Mary Ann Liebert Publishers and requested complimentary back issues of the journal Breastfeeding Medicine to share with our medical students and residents at a large teaching hospital where I was then working near Washington, D.C. In 2008, we hosted a full-day conference with Nils Bergman, and amazingly, we were able to start the day at 8am with Pediatric Grand Rounds for that first hour with Dr. Bergman. We had excellent attendance from the pediatricians in the area, and the medical students and residents were required by their clinical instructor to attend the Pediatric Grand Rounds with Dr. Bergman. Liebert Publishing provided us with recent back issues (the previous issue) for our Pediatric Grand Rounds - - so very nice. Anytime we received back issues of Breastfeeding Medicine, I shared them with the lactation staff, of course, but also with the medical students and residents doing their residencies in pediatrics, obstetrics
, and family medicine, and I also shared copies with the medical staff, politely handing out copies with my usual charm and diplomacy. The medical students and residents happily received the back issues, and their clinical instructor, the pediatrician-director of the well-baby nursery, also warmly received my offering of the back issues (she was a tremendous breastfeeding advocate, having nursed her own child - - and she was the clinical instructor who required the medical students and residents to attend the Bergman Pediatric Grand Rounds). During my lactation rounds at the hospital, I would offer back issues of Breastfeeding Medicine to members of the medical staff that I might see in passing - - we received these back issues every three months, so it was an occasional offering to the physicians, not a frequent offering. As compared to the warm response by the medical students, residents, and their clinical instructor, the members of the medical staff were less enthusia stic when kindly offered a back issue. But I hoped that if they took the time to look at the journal later, that a favorable result would follow - - perhaps even improved medical management.
Whenever possible, I like being optimistic, though I admit sometimes it's a challenge:)
Debra Swank, RN BSN IBCLC
Ocala FL USA
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