Homebirth midwives are nothing if not self-absorbed. A baby is dead and Hannah Dahlen, a spokesperson for the Australian College of Midwives, has the unmitigated gall to use the preventable death as an opportunity to whine about the “oppression” of midwives. [pullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Hannah Dahlen has never met a dead baby […]
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The ultimate appeal of anti-vaccine advocacy: it flatters the ignorant
One of the most attractive aspects of anti-vaccine advocacy, indeed of all alternative health, is that no particular knowledge is necessary to declare yourself an expert. It doesn’t matter that you don’t have even the most basic knowledge of science and statistics. It doesn’t matter that you don’t have any understanding at all of the […]
BFHI, the Bullying Friendly Hospital Initiative
Last week I wrote about the fact that so called Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative has been worse than a failure. Not only does it fail to achieve its objective, it is actively harmful. [pullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]The BFHI is not a medical program; it’s the institutionalization of lactivist bullying.[/pullquote] The BFHI bans […]
Has childbirth pain outlived its evolutionary purpose?
Why does childbirth hurt? Natural childbirth advocates often claim that the pain of childbirth brings a variety of benefits. Some claim that the pain triggers a hormone cascade that is necessary for maternal infant bonding. Others insist that childbirth is not painful and is actually “ecstatic” and provides sexual pleasure. These varying theories hinge on […]
The Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative is worse than a failure
An extraordinary editorial in the latest issue of JAMA confirms what I have been writing about for years: the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative is worse than a failure. It not only doesn’t work at promoting breastfeeding, but it actually harms infants and mothers in the process. The editorial accompanies publication of the new USPSTF (United […]
Does breastfeeding prevent SIDS?
It is now widely accepted that breastfeeding prevents SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), but is that what the scientific evidence really shows? The short answer: yes, but it’s complicated. [pullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Yes, but it’s complicated.[/pullquote] Yesterday I wrote about the claim that roomsharing prevents SIDS and concluded that the evidence is […]
Evidence that roomsharing prevents SIDS is extremely weak
The American Academy of Pediatrics is finally acknowledging that many principles of lactivism are contradicted by the scientific evidence. Sadly, they have replaced old unsupported recommendations with a new unsupported recommendation. In August, the AAP finally acknowledged that The Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative, a hospital based effort to promote breastfeeding, leads to serious iatrogenic infant […]
Quackery and the conceit of the brilliant heretic
A pervasive theme in quackery (aka “alternative” health) is the notion of the brilliant heretic. Believers argue that science is transformed by brilliant heretics whose fabulous theories are initially rejected, but ultimately accepted as the new orthodoxy. Alternative health practitioners, with no embarrassment at their own presumption, routinely liken themselves to Galileo and Darwin. Today […]
Can you strengthen your immune system?
Proponents of “alternative” medicine often disagree profoundly on treatment methods. Sick? In pain? Try this homeopathic remedy that contains no active ingredients. Stick needles into acupressure points. Wear magnetic foot pads to pull the toxins out of your body. [pullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Illness is not caused by a weak immune system.[/pullquote] But […]
Why do babies die at homebirth? You may be surprised.
More babies die of infection at homebirth than at hospital birth. Surprised? Homebirth advocates often insist that homebirth is beneficial because it avoids exposing babies to infections. That claim always made little sense on its face since the major infectious causes of neonatal death, group B streptococcus and herpes, are found in the mother’s vagina. […]
Amy Tuteur, MD
Dr. Amy Tuteur is an obstetrician gynecologist. She received her undergraduate degree from Harvard College in 1979 and her medical degree from Boston University School of Medicine in 1984. Dr. Tuteur is a former clinical instructor at Harvard Medical School. She left the practice of medicine to raise her four children. Her book, Push Back: Guilt in the Age of Natural Parenting (HarperCollins) was published in 2016. She can be reached at DrAmy5 at aol dot com... More
