I am sorry to be very behind on this one. 

I have noted in children that the most common side effects of steroids are irritabilty, hyperactivity, and increased appetite. I have noted these effects not only with oral steroids (used mostly for asthma exacerbations) but also with occasional patients using inhaled or nasal steroids for preventative treatment of asthma. THis is in spite of the drug company rhetoric which claims that these inhaled or nasal steroids are not systemically absorbed. This leads me to wonder whether some children are very sensitive to steroids and react to small quantities. It is possible that this infant is infact having predictable side effects to the very small quantities in the breast milk? The symptoms sound like irritability and hyperactivity- and might be indistinguishable from frustration caused by (for example) a decreased milk supply.

Any ideas?

(I have also noted elevated BP and increased bruising in several children on nasal and inhaled steroids which resolved after stopping the medications. I'm not sure that these medications are as "benign" as touted although I have no doubt about the benefits of their therapeutic actions.)

Kate McIntosh MD FAAP
Benzonia, MI
[log in to unmask]

             ***********************************************
The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html