News bits

[magid]

The CDC is now recommending HIV tests become part of routine health screens for all, treating it as an infectious disease rather than only a stigmatized one. Good.

Massachusetts is considering banning the new-mother bags with formula passed out in many hospitals. A number of local hospitals have already stopped passing out the Similac/Enfamil bags, giving materials promoting their hospital instead of the formula companies. While I don't want mothers to become stigmatized for using formula, I don't think it's necessary to promote it to new mothers as just as good for your baby as breastfeeding, plus more convenient, when it's been shown that breastfeeding provides health benefits formula is unable to duplicate.

I hadn't realized there were so many Native languages in Maine, many on the verge of vanishing, but now there's governmental support (monies, even) for keeping them alive and teaching them.

... "When I hear English, I feel competitiveness," Roger Paul says. "Once I switch that worldview and start thinking in Indian, it's difficult to think back in English again."

Language preservationists argue it's important to keep languages, like animals, from extinction for the sake of diversity. "Every language provides us with more knowledge about human thinking and behavior ... and a unique perspective. So, when we lose a language, we lose a lot of knowledge," says Pauleena MacDougall, associate director of the Maine Folklife Center housed at the University of Maine in Orono. "It's almost like losing an animal. So what? Why do we care about it? Because it's something missing that should be here."

Better bacon: animal breeders and geneticists are working towards building a better pig. Related site: there are mappings of a number of animal genomes, allowing more careful breeding (theoretically, anyway).

Vote early, vote often: vote for what properties should be on a new Monopoly board (through May 12).

When you should lose your job for your beliefs: a judge in the Phillipines lost his job for consulting imaginary mystic dwarfs (three of them, Armand, Luis and Angel).

Comments

[gingicat]

They're totally useless bags, anyway. Hard to carry, and not enough space.

[magid.livejournal.com]

Huh. You'd think they'd've figured out a useful bag.

Monopoly

[library-sexy.livejournal.com]

You can't buy the Brooklyn Bridge in NY? But what if I want to sell it?

Re: Monopoly

[magid.livejournal.com]

Not the official owner? Doesn't stop lots of people...

[queue.livejournal.com]

I'd like to know what genes make humans taste better.

[magid.livejournal.com]

Heh.

[fairdice.livejournal.com]

Next time, on Ambiguities-R-Us! Does this comment refer to:

1. A clever combination of both the better-tasting pig and breastfeeding items?
   
2. The German cannibalism (http://go.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=BGZPPONXCH44WCRBAEZSFFA?type=oddlyEnoughNews&storyID=12127728) story?
   
3. Supertasters (http://iafrica.com/pls/cms/iac.page?p_t1=98&p_t2=3073&p_t3=3768&p_t4=0&p_dynamic=YP&p_content_id=154529&p_site_id=2)?
   

[ichur72.livejournal.com]

I got one of those Infamil bags in the hospital, and so far it's seen very little use. I took it because, well, free! I gave the can of formula away long ago and threw away all the promotional materials inside. Anyway, the thing about the bag is that it's supposedly set up for the purpose of carrying expressed breast milk -- the pockets on the front contain little freezer packs to help keep the milk fresh for a few hours. Given that I work at home and have not had to pump since the first few weeks when we were getting nursing established, I've never had a reason to carry milk in the bag. I've tried using it as a diaper bag, but it doesn't work for me -- too small and doesn't hang properly from my shoulder. The diaper bags that the hospital itself gave me were much better, and I still use those.

I'm not sure whether barring formula companies from the hospital is the best solution. IMHO, women would be best served if hospitals made more use of their lactation consultants and made a discussion on breastfeeding and its benefit a standard part of the hospital stay. I'd also like to see WIC and its state-level analogues become more supportive of breastfeeding -- offering and encouraging access to experienced and empathetic LCs instead of just paying for formula. (This would be cost-effective, after all, since breast milk is, well, free and formula is costly.)

[magid.livejournal.com]

I think I'd just assumed that new mothers automagically got visits from the hospital lactation consultants (and follow-up if necessary). And I'd've thought WIC (etc) would totally support breastfeeding: both cheaper for the family and healthier for the kids.

[ichur72.livejournal.com]

I can't speak for all hospitals, of course, but the one where I delivered had a policy of sending LCs to all women who expressed a desire to nurse and not sending them to those who said they planned to bootle-feed. I don't see why that policy couldn't be changed so that every new mom got a standard visit from an LC to emphasize the benefits of breast-feeding, plus immediate hands-on help if she changed her mind about bottles and wanted to try. That would create an opening for getting the info out while giving the mother a chance to ignore it if she pleased.

I've heard (I have no firsthand experience) that there are a few individual WIC caseworkers who are supportive of nursing. However, there seems to be a standard protocol in place to push formula, especially if the baby is not gaining weight at the "ideal" rate. (And breastfed babies do tend to gain a little more slowly than formula-fed babies.) There also seems to be considerable reliance on older info that is now questionable, such as the idea that four months is the best time to start solid foods and the belief that babies need to increase consumption of solids quickly. (Speaking from experience, not all babies take to solids immediately.) I'm sure mileage varies for each person involved in the system, but I've heard some horror stories.

[magid.livejournal.com]

I'd just assumed that all new mothers would get a visit from a lactation consultant. Obviously, the world is not as I thought.

Breastfed babies don't gain as quickly, but really, quality over quantity; it's not like they stay smaller throughout life. And I'd thought that the current guideline was solids starting at 6 months at the earliest. (And my nephew is proof that some kids aren't interested in solids that young.)

I know, preaching to the choir*, but how frustrating.

* Suddenly that feels far too xtian a turn of phrase, but I can't think of anything more neutral that's got the same connotation.

[ichur72.livejournal.com]

I believe the AAP now recommends starting between 4 and 6 months. Most breastfeeding advocates I know of say 6 and view that as a suggested baseline rather than pushing moms to start before baby is ready.