I am posting this to the list so that I do not miss anything by re-writing
it.  I have found the information about Thick-it and send that on to the
mom.  I am wondering if anyone has worked with a baby like this and what
other suggestions that I might offer to her.  The mother has already told
me that she has tried "very upright" bf positions, to no avail since the
problem seems to be further down the pipe, so to speak. Mom has also tried
pumping initial letdown, and then putting the baby to breast. I will not
personally be working with her, but will send all posts to on to her.
Thanks in advance :)
                       Pam Holland, BS, IBCLC
                     WIC BF Coordinator, Savannah, "Pam,

<<"I don't know if you remember me, I'm Karen, an e-mail loop friend of
Annes.  A while back you gave me some excellent advice while I was
breastfeeding my 2-year-old daughter and I was taking a few asthma
medications to control my acute attack.  Your advice proved invaluable to
me.
I now have a few questions regarding a good friend of mine who has a 2 1/2
month old boy.  From the beginning of their nursing relationship, he would
make loud, sucking noises at the breast which prompted me to see whether he
was properly latched on.  My friend, this being her third breastfed child,
assured me that he was, but that he always made this sound.  Later, when he
started arching his back and gasping for air when he nursed, she called the
doctor and began a lengthy investigation into the cause of his feeding
difficulties.  So far, she has seen a pediatrician, a pediatric ENT and a
speech pathologist.  He has had a bronchoscopy, chest x-ray and a
swallowing test under flouroscopy.  It has been determined that he has
Laryngal Malasia (sp?), or a weak larynx, so that when he swallows, the
flap that normally covers the trachea so that food goes into the esophogas
and not into the trachea, is "sloppy" and doesn't completely cover the
trachea.  What the doctors think is that breastmilk is aspriating into the
lungs, in small amounts, every time he eats.  So far, they haven't found a
larger cause for this laryngial malasia, but they've advised her to use a
Haberman Feeder, which she has been using successfully so far.
They also advised her to thicken formula with a product called "Thick-It".
Have you heard of this product and do you know if it is safe to thicken
breastmilk with it?  She would like to pump her breastmilk, thicken it and
give it to him in the feeder/bottle, if possible, but no one can tell her
if it is safe to do this with breastmilk.  Have you ever heard of such a
situation before, or one similar to it?  She is awaiting more information
from her doctor, after all of the doctors involved consult one another, but
in the meantime, she has a 2 month old who needs to be fed every couple of
hours.
The doctors haven't exactly told her not to breastfed her baby, but, since
the tests have shown that he aspirates less fluid when fed with this
special bottle than when he breastfeeds, she is more and more afraid
(rightfully so!)to breastfeed him.  Any advice you could give me/her would
be much
appreciated!  Thank you!">>