Hi everyone,
I have permission to post.
Pregnant mom was diagnosed with severe neutropenia about 2 years ago.  Her body produces an antibody that attacks her own white blood cells (neutrophils) and causes chronic low white blood cell counts.  She is concerned that she could pass this antibody on to her baby by breastfeeding.  Does anyone have any experience with a mother who has breastfed with this condition?
And, does anyone have the understanding of immune system function to answer the following 2 questions?
1. Could this antibody pass through her milk and attack the baby's white blood cells causing neutropenia in the baby?
and/or 2. could the baby's immune system through exposure through her milk be triggered to begin producing antibodies that would cause autoimmune neutropenia in the baby?
We're already talking about weighing the known risks of formula-feeding vs. theoretical risks of breastfeeding.
Thanks in advance for any insight you can give me (and wishing I knew more about the immune system)
Marcia McCoy, IBCLC in Minnesota
 

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