Just wanted to update you all on the infant that I have been following who
has a cleft of the hard palate, and who was exclusively breastfed for a long
spell.  She remained healthy, avoided respiratory infections, avoided tubes
in ears, and grew very well for 5 months.  At that point ( shortly before
Christmas) the mother got very exhausted with the pumping regimen, and
abandoned the whole process, weaning the baby. ( I feel sad because she
never called before this decision, so I really didn't have any way of
knowing she was so blue -- tho who knows if anything I could have said or
done would have changed that? )  She had been doing so well, and seemed so
staunch that by then I had sort of quit hand-holding so much.  By 6 mo. of
age, baby began experiencing ear infection and the surgery (which was going
to be done early) was postphoned.  Baby is now 10 mo old and soon will have
ear tubes inserted.  Surgery is scheduled soon to repair the palate.

I visited last week with a para 2 mother due to deliver a baby whose cleft
was identified by ultrasound.  It was my first pre-natal cleft consult in
all the years I have been interested in this particular issue.  I networked
this mother with the mother of the infant above.  The preg. mom delivered
Tues at 37 weeks, and baby has complete bilateral cleft of lips and palate.
Unfortunately baby was given formula in hospt. (from Haberman.)  This
dispite my prenatal discussion of avoiding formula.  Mom was put on a pump
immed. which is good, and is following my advice to pump q 3 hr to bring her
own milk in quickly, and she has been cup feeding colostrum.   I spoke with
her today when she called to tell me about the birth, and urged her to dc
formula.  Reminded her babies don't need to feed large vols in first few
days of life.  She told me one criteron for release of baby was insistance
on baby demonstrating ability to feed.  I think that is valid, but too bad
it exposed such a vulnerable infant to a risk factor clearly documented in
the research lit. on the subject.

Barbara




Barbara Wilson-Clay, BS, IBCLC
Private Practice, Austin, Texas
Owner, Lactnews On-Line Conference Page
http://moontower.com/bwc/lactnews.html