This Sucks
Nasal Aspirator. Suction Bulb. Bulb Syringe. Snot Sucker (my kids’ favorite).
Whatever you call it, I know you are familiar with it.
In fact you are probably so familiar with it that you don’t question it’s use whatsoever.
It’s just a standard thing that is used on babies. In fact it has to be used, right? And why WOULDN’T you want to use it? Besides the fact that no one dreams about one of these coming at them.
Look, I’ve had one of these things on hand at all my births and floating around my house for months and months postpartum. I love these things, I think their great.
But I love these things like I love epidurals, c sections, and baby formula.
Use with caution and only when indicated.
Many times I have seen a suction done on a 1-2 minute old baby that was borderline abusive, and for no good reason.
Before suctions were invented, were babies just dying right and left for lack of a bulb suction? I don’t think so.
Slow Down Turbo
The first time I ever questioned the use of a suction was actually at my 2nd birth – a homebirth – where no suction was used. I had been a doula a short time and all of them had been hospital births and I had never read a thing about the pros and cons of suctioning (in fact, I don’t think there was ANY literature on it at the time) and seen it so often I thought it was necessary for every baby to be suctioned. Up to that point I had seen birth videos where babies were not suctioned, but I really didn’t think about it until….
Baby girl was born, and that bulb suction that came in the birth kit just sat there unused. I thought ‘huih’, but being on my birth high, I didn’t ask any questions, but I didn’t need to.
My own experience taught me that not all babies need to be suctioned. From that knowledge I started questioning, ‘What babies do need suctioning and what are the risks?’
I’m a Humanitarian
I don’t think anyone would say that it’s a good idea that newborns be handled roughly, but the fact is, they are. They are poked, jabbed, tossed around, exposed to cold and bright light and noise, and separated from ‘their source’ (ie their mothers) for hours on end. Sometimes the way a birth goes down, this is necessary, but most of the time it’s a big fat nuisance and dangerous, in fact.
Studies of shown that the more gentle the birth, the healthier (and happier) the newborn. This has a ripple effect that can be seen months, and sometimes years, after the birth.
So is it important that we eliminate as many of the jarring acts we commit on newborns as possible? YES!
Is suctioning one of them. YES!
The Thick and Thin of It
Without going into the semantics of why most babies don’t need suctioning (the protective mechanisms that an unmedicated vaginal birth provides), let me just tell you why you might want to look for a caregiver that does not routinely suction.
The Risks (as cited in Impact of Birthing Practices on Breastfeeding):
No demonstrated benefits: randomized controlled trials have shown no difference between infants who have had routine suctioning and those who have not.
Mispatterned tongue movement: “The tongue muscle group can be mispatterned by early superstimuli such as deep or repeated suctioning.” ie interferes with breastfeeding.
Defensive tongue position: “Physical irritation of the posterior palate creates a reflex guarding of the airway by the tongue…This is exactly the opposite of the anterior-to-posterior tongue peristaltis needed for breastfeeding.”
Pain, possibly leading to aversion to feeding: “Suctioning a vigorous newborn (except as needed for resuscitation) can cause physical damage to the oropharynx, causing pain during feeding attempts.”
The evidence is strong enough that the American Academy of Pediatrics makes a point of discouraging suctioning in its breastfeeding policy, recommending that physicians: “avoid procedures that may interfere with breastfeeding or that may traumatize the infant, including unnecessary, excessive, and over-vigorous suctioning of the oral cavity, esophagus, and airways to avoid oropharyngeal mucosal injury that may lead to aversive feeding behavior.”
Stuck On You
So, like so many birth practices done in the past and today, this is one of those things that is done without any hard evidence to support it. How and when will it end? When you say it does. Once again, you cannot afford to wait around and just cross your fingers that your caregiver is the one who ‘gets it. You have to be proactive and either ask and then hire to a caregiver who’s suctioning rates are low, or demand it in the throws of birthing your baby. Once again (again) hiring a doula helps you out here.
Additional Sources:
http://www.bestforbabes.org/booby-traps-series-attack-of-the-giant-bulb-syringe
