I tend to agree with Catherine, who wrote: 

>It is NOT at all likely for the baby's seizures to be caused by an allergy or by the moms seafood intake or >diet.  Or the varnish.  The most likely explanation is this:  In some epilepsy syndromes, the time of greatest >vulnerability to seizures is during changes of levels of consciousness, particularly just starting to fall asleep >or just awakening.  Now think of baby breastfeeding:  baby gets drowsy, starts to relax, change of level of >consciousness.

My now 12-year-old battles seizures that were finally explained through an arteriogram, which found tiny arterio-venal malformations (AVM's) that he was born with.  Although he received gamma knife treatment for three of these AVMs, he continued to have mild seizure activity at bedtime and in the morning after he  awakened until the right anti-seizure medication combination was finally determined.  By the way, he was fully breastfed for around 18 months and other than the seizure activity and normal childhood scrapes and bruises, he has been a picture of health for 12 years!  

It is true that mothers tend to blame themselves...perhaps that comes out of a desire to control what is happening to her child.  (If I did something to cause this, then maybe I can do something to fix it.)   Seizures can be a terribly frightening experience for parents.  I well remember feeling powerless throughout all of Joel's difficult ordeals, and still today find myself trying to "fix" what happens to him through continual monitoring of his diet and sleep routines, persistent calls and visits with the doctors, requests for tests, etc.  That's all about advocating for your child.  Cheryl's mom needs to receive a lot of support that she *is* doing the best for her baby by breastfeeding him, and good active listening skills will help her express her fears and frustrations over what is happening to her child.  

Cathy Carothers, IBCLC - Jackson, MS
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