Lactation Clinics

We read with interest the article, “Hey, Dr. Spock--Here’s Dr. Mom” (by Ann Japenga, June 1), about Dr. Marianne Neifert. We know Dr. Neifert is a strong advocate of breast-feeding. However, we take exception to the parenthetical statement that St. Luke’s Women’s Hospital’s lactation clinic “is the only one of its kind in the country.”

Dr. Audrey Naylor’s lactation clinic in San Diego, the first in the country, was featured in an article in The Times last year. Our own Breast-feeding Infant Clinic at the Pediatric Pavilion of the Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center has been in existence since 1978. There are also numerous other university hospitals across the country that have lactation clinics, or ones in the planning stages. It should be noted that the San Diego clinic and our own clinic were among the pioneers in this field and continue to serve as models of operation for other clinics.

We were pleased to see a feature article on Dr. Neifert’s book, “Dr. Mom: A Guide to Baby and Child Care,” because we think it is time that baby care books are written by women pediatricians who have cared for babies of their own.

KITTIE FRANTZ, Director

Breast-feeding Infant Clinic

County-USC Medical Center

LAURA WACHSMAN, M.D.

Director

Pediatric Clinics

LAC-USC Medical Center