An other use of this term is that we are taking the patients word for the
hx. She is most often doing the best she can with the knowlege or memory
she has. I have been told "I do not have an allergy to dairy." The chart
shows, "Pt. denies allergy to dairy." These patients will sometimes later
be found to actually have an allergy when more work was done and situation
pointed to the possibility of an allergy. The chart can them be ammended.
If the chart had read, "Pt does not have an allergy." the situation may not
have been investigated further.

I have also had patients "deny" using bottles (in nipple confusion and suck
problem cases,) because they assumed bottles of human milk didn't count!
Rather than say "Baby has not been given artificial nipples" the chart
read, "Pt denies artificial nipple use" and the question could be
investigated in more depth when the LC got the chart.

It often can help us define and clarify questions that may not have been
correctly asked, were asked when the mother was in a stressed situation and
not fully present or just forgot a part of her hx. (I've worked with
mothers who actually forgot diseases and even positive TB tests.)

Mary Jozwiak IBCLC AAPL LLLL Mama
(who hopes she gets her registration form in in time to get SOME of her
first session choices!)

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