Further questions I have about this case.
1. Why is this *6-month-old* receiving the highly overpriced (as compared
to human donor milk from the non-profit milk bank system) Prolacta milk?
Has Prolacta committed to donating the "life-time" supply of human milk this
child needs? While I understand preemies may benefit from the
human-milk-fortified Prolacta milk, which therefore may justify its use and
manufacturing cost, this case sounds to me like a normal 6-month-old, who
despite recent insults to its gut by formula, sounds like it really just
needs normal human milk, like every other normal 6-month-old.
2. The Ped involved had no idea about this "product", and is now notifying
all his MD associates about his "find" and wants to write up this case
history. So will his write-up be about the need to protect the
breastfeeding relationship and the neccessity of exclusive breastfeeding for
the first 6 months? Or will it be about the "miracle" of donated human milk
feeding? Or about Prolacta's amazing product that is now available - just
by writing a prescription! (much easier for him than actually getting
education on breastfeeding support)
Has he now had an epifany that he must educate himself on human lactation
and breastfeeding support, and ensure that all his patients breastfeed?
Seeing how these cases play out, will give us hints as to whether this new
product will actually increase demand for breastfeeding, and therefore
increase the quantity and quality of breastfeeding services and support. Or
will it in actuality become a substitute to breastfeeding, and a competitor
to the non-profit human milk bank system, and breastfeeding itself.
Janice Reynolds
----- Original Message -----
From: <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 07, 2006 10:29 PM
Subject: Update
> You may remember the mom with the 6 month old who was vomiting blood, and
> screaming, after trying many different formulas, that I posted about 2
weeks
> ago. The Ped would not write a prescription for donor milk from a bank, so
> after 8 days of consults, phone calls, etc, I wrote a 6 page report on the
value
> of breastmilk, the donor milk process etc, the mom then paid for an office
> visit to take the report and have him read it. He spent 20 minutes
studying the
> report and then declared it marvelous, said he had no idea about this
product
> and wrote the prescription ( the baby screamed the entire 25 minute
office
> visit). Prolacta generously offered to donate banked milk and the
shipping
> costs, and the use of a breastpump ( thank you, thank you), and after
getting
> FedEx overnight service to the Outer Banks, the baby received the milk.
> After the first 12 hours on donor milk, the baby slept for an 1.5 hour
nap, and
> then woke up and played quietly on a pallet on the floor for 15 minutes.
Both
> of these were the first time in this baby's life he has done that. For the
> next 2 nights, he slept for 3 hour periods. On Sunday, he decided that
eating is
> good, and ate like there was no end in sight--a normal growth spurt, but
> this mom has not ever seen any normal developmental stages, so she had a
mild
> panic attack until I assured her that babies do that. He continues to
sleep
> better, play with toys and has even started sitting on mom's lap
listening to
> her read books to him. This is a baby that squirmed, wiggled, screamed,
cried,
> arched, fell asleep exhausted only to wake in 20-30 minutes, spit up
every
> feeding, and was on all types of stomach meds, pain meds, and baby food to
> help hold the food in his stomach. This mother has fought with this
problem for
> 4 months since he went to total formula--she pumped and gave mixed feeds
the
> first 2 months. We have taken him off all baby food and formula and he is
> just getting human milk from Prolacta. The mom is pumping and is now
getting 1
> oz with each pumping so she is mixing her milk with the banked milk.
Everyone
> is talking about the "miracle milk" but all I see is a baby returning to
> "normal". It shouldn't be so miraculous for a 6 month old to sleep for
1.5 hours
> and then wake, eat and play without screaming. I think it is terrible
that
> our pediatricians think that throwing up, screaming and having to be on
5-6
> meds is " normal". We are hoping the donor milk will aid in healing his
gut,
> and that mom can continue to increase her milk by pumping.
> The pediatrician is now notifying all his MD associates about his "find"
and
> wants to write up this case history. I wonder how much of it will be from
my
> 6 pages, my hours of phone consults, and research, (all of which was done
as
> a volunteer) ????
> So we are now watching to see how much continued healing occurs, and enjoy
> watching this mom learn how to mother a happy baby. Thank you Elena for
your
> gracious gift. There is no value that can be placed on this.
>
> Barbara Whitehead, BS, IBCLC, RLC
> eastern NC
>
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