Forget the X-Prize, for first re-entry manned space vehicle (or whatever it was exactly). No, don't forget it, but rather, here is the big problem I want to have solved through a competition. Colic.
We have a colicky baby. But last night I found a link to a forum with fairly old posts about Colic and Breastfeeding and I've been reading various threads in between sleeping and feeding and burping and trying to calm A. And the sense I get just reinforces what has been building for me since being in the hospital for labor, about the need for better research and understanding of complications with natural birth, and breastfeeding problems, and now colic. The doctors and nurses and midwives have answers for the majority of cases, but there are these other cases, on the periphery, which cause so much distress and emotional pain for parents.
The colic thread not only made me realize that we and A fall in the middle to low-middle end of how bad it can be (no projectile vomiting after every feed, or crying for 8 hours straight every day!). These parents are desperate and there don't seem to be many answers. Or, rather, there are too many answers. Acid reflux, hip displacement, food sensitivity (for some, to almost EVERYTHING), not burping enough, soy vs. milk formula, antibiotics, etc, etc, etc. Some work for some babies, and for someother babies, nothing works.
So there (and on countless other forums and websites), we have all of this data. Loads of it. Not complete, by any means, but loads and loads of variables. And maybe, with the right statistical approach combined with focussed follow-up experimental studies on interventions, there is some hope of turning "colic" into a collection of terms, much more subtle and varied, to help all of these people (parents and babies) from having to go through all that pain.
Now I just need to find the right people to fund the prize, and the right people to design the competition guidelines to get some great researchers working on this. Heck, even if 100,000 people donated $10 each, that would be QUITE the prize for this type of competition, right? And to put something like that together to solve a problem that affects so many women and babies would be pretty cool. Finally, something for the ladies.
Yup, C-Prize.
We have a colicky baby. But last night I found a link to a forum with fairly old posts about Colic and Breastfeeding and I've been reading various threads in between sleeping and feeding and burping and trying to calm A. And the sense I get just reinforces what has been building for me since being in the hospital for labor, about the need for better research and understanding of complications with natural birth, and breastfeeding problems, and now colic. The doctors and nurses and midwives have answers for the majority of cases, but there are these other cases, on the periphery, which cause so much distress and emotional pain for parents.
The colic thread not only made me realize that we and A fall in the middle to low-middle end of how bad it can be (no projectile vomiting after every feed, or crying for 8 hours straight every day!). These parents are desperate and there don't seem to be many answers. Or, rather, there are too many answers. Acid reflux, hip displacement, food sensitivity (for some, to almost EVERYTHING), not burping enough, soy vs. milk formula, antibiotics, etc, etc, etc. Some work for some babies, and for someother babies, nothing works.
So there (and on countless other forums and websites), we have all of this data. Loads of it. Not complete, by any means, but loads and loads of variables. And maybe, with the right statistical approach combined with focussed follow-up experimental studies on interventions, there is some hope of turning "colic" into a collection of terms, much more subtle and varied, to help all of these people (parents and babies) from having to go through all that pain.
Now I just need to find the right people to fund the prize, and the right people to design the competition guidelines to get some great researchers working on this. Heck, even if 100,000 people donated $10 each, that would be QUITE the prize for this type of competition, right? And to put something like that together to solve a problem that affects so many women and babies would be pretty cool. Finally, something for the ladies.
Yup, C-Prize.
You have our deepest sympathies with the colic. It strikes gear into us even now. I hope you have a digital clock to watch carefully how long the jags are. That always kept me sane when Anja went on a screamathon.
ReplyDeleteYeah, we had the projectile vomiting after every bloody feeding here. It was horrendous. Ask Julie. I gave up trying to keep baby puke off my clothing. I tried not eating somethings, eating others, all sorts of things. I don't remember when it stopped. Some point toward the end of the first year I think. It is a distant memory now, but ugh my sympathies!
ReplyDelete