The Breastfeeding Atlas & Clinical Lactation: A Visual Guide
The Breastfeeding
Atlas
by Barbara Wilson-Clay and Kay Hoover
LactNews,1999
Clinical Lactation: A Visual Guide
by Kathleen Auerbach and Janice Riordan
Jones & Bartlett, 2000
From: LEAVEN, Vol. 36 No. 2, April-May 2000, pg. 34
Reviewed by Kathy Koch
Great Mills, Maryland USA
One of the basic responsibilities
of LLL Leaders is to keep "up-to-date on all important breastfeeding
information" and also to take "advantage of LLL's opportunities
for continuing education through publications..." (LEADER'S HANDBOOK,
1998 edition, page 4). Two recently published books will facilitate
this. Clinical Lactation: A Visual Guide by Kathleen Auerbach
and Jan Riordan and The Breastfeeding Atlas by Barbara Wilson-Clay
and Kay Hoover are educational texts that will be of interest to many
Leaders.
Both books are full of color
photographs that show a variety of nipples and breasts. This will be
the first opportunity for many Leaders to see images of poison ivy on
a nipple, accessory nipples, reconstructed breasts due to burns, cancer,
reduction and augmentation and even pierced nipples and breast tattoos.
Clinical Lactation: A
Visual Guide (83 pages, 104 pictures) is a well-organized text showing
different types of breasts and nipples, conditions affecting breasts
and nipples (such as allergies, abscesses, thrush and burns) and conditions
affecting the breastfed infant, including cleft lip/palate, short frenulum
and candidiasis. The pictures are large, clear and in color. They are
sequenced with the text and are easy to refer to when reading the accompanying
text.
The reader is encouraged
to complete the critical thinking activities at the end of each chapter.
These thought-provoking questions include:
- "How might the
baby's behavior on the breast alter the look of the nipple?"
(Page 20)
- "Distinguish between
mastitis and a galactocele." (Page 64)
- "What signs/symptoms
additional to visible yeast overgrowth might these infants exhibit?"
(Page 77)
These activities would be
especially helpful for anyone who plans to take the IBLCE exam or for
Leaders who are planning Area Conference presentations. The questions
could also be discussion starters for District or Chapter Workshops.
The Breastfeeding Atlas
(71 pages, 230 pictures), written by two LLL Leaders, shows a wider
range of pictures. It goes beyond breasts, nipples and babies to include
a range of nursing positions, both correct and incorrect, varieties
in milk color and stool color, alternative methods of feeding (cup,
finger, spoon, nursing supplementer) , details about short frenula,
evaluation and clipping, and toddler and tandem nursing. Several case
studies are provided which gives a more realistic perspective to some
topics.
The highly technical text
provides greater detail. The photographs are in the center of the book,
which requires flipping back and forth between text and pictures, but
the text is clearly referenced to the pictures so locating them is easy.
Either of these books would
make a wonderful addition to a personal breastfeeding library or a Chapter's
library. They would not be appropriate for a Group lending library.
Both texts will provide the Leader who has a desire for advanced knowledge
on breastfeeding management with a thorough overview of the variety
of typical and atypical conditions of the breast, nipples and infant
during lactation.
Page last edited Sun Oct 14 09:31:52 UTC 2007.
