Sobering Reality

Here's a frightening tidbit:  a new study found that some bibles of obstetrics, routinely used for medical students, are less than informative and educational.  According to the study these textbooks leave out important information, can be inaccurate and in some cases give wrong information!!!!!  And these are the books doctors, who will be advising new moms on breastfeeding, are using.

The study was done by Dr. Tony Ogburn, director of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of New Mexico, and  colleagues at Boston University.  They looked at the five most popular textbooks based on sales.  In an article I read, Ogburn says three of the textbooks commonly used are not as "up-to-date or nearly as complete as they should be."   That's more than just a little alarming. 

And it begs the question, why?  According to Ogburn, when it comes to getting breastfeeding advice, some physicans believe that new moms will get the information they need from other sources, such as lactation consultants.  To that end, the "general lack of interest in breastfeeding is reflected in three...textbooks."  Wow!  It's a breathtakingly sad day when the books used to teach the next generation of doctors are inaccurate, and those same up-and-coming doctors don't feel it's their responsibility to know how to coach new moms how to breastfeed.