Unfortunately, I think that we will go around on this topic again and
again, because the reasons are so varied as to why anyone disregards
research and time tested results to provide misinformation, wrong
information or (to me, worse) withhold information under the guise of
'not wanting to make mom feel guilty.'
Gary Freed et.al wrote National Assessment of Physicians' Breast-feeding
Knowledge, Attitudes, Training and Experience JAMA, February 8, 1995 Vol
273, No. 6; 472-476. It is still an interesting article on the issue.
There is just no uniform education concerning breastfeeding, human milk
and formula (it's risks and proper useage) and I see HCPs who tend to
want to consider any and all issues on breastfeeding someone elses
problem (OBs who think it's the Peds problem, Drs who see it as a Nurses
or Midwives issue and so on). And of course, there are still physicians
out there who do see formula and human milk as 'almost' the same - so
what's the big deal.
In this also is (buried deeply sometimes)that breastfeeding is a 'womans
issue' and some physicians dismiss womans issues as unimportant and
mostly 'hormonal' anyway. Read Unequal Treatment by Eileen Nechas &
Denise Foley, 1994, Simon & Schuster for just how lowly US medicine has
seen women and their medical issues. (I have to admit that neither this
book nor one entitled Perimenopause, nor most I've seen on Breast Cancer
mention breastfeeding at all - so even the books pointing out the
problem, still have a problem).
And finally (buried even more deeply) is that human milk is made by
women, usually not seen and we surely don't know all the ingredients.
Formula was created by man, the ingredients are listed. And I just guess
some people automatically think that it just has to be better. And as
has been pointed out before, there is little money to be made in
breastfeeding & human milk. Formula is on the other hand a big money
maker and well advertised.
Leslie Ward
Vine Grove, KY
***********************************************
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
|
