I have been asked to post this on behalf of a fellow IBCLC, currently staying in the hospital with her 9-month old, “M”, who is having chemotherapy for leukemia.  She has a hard time getting on the Internet, but can check her e-mail at [log in to unmask], and requests direct responses.  Bottom line--Christy simply wants to know if there are viable alternatives to IVIG and whether she can do anything with her milk to bump her baby’s IgG numbers up a bit.  She is in “nursing mom” mode right now and any reassurances or ideas you can send her way will be appreciated.  Her husband is a well-known hospitalist at the area children’s hospital, so don’t hesitate to throw complicated/technical information Christy’s way.

Here is her e-mail with initials replacing names for her family members:

“How much Ig G is transferred in breastmilk?

M’s IgG is pretty low and our oncologist is recommending IVIG before discharge on Friday, 11-04-11.  There is the risk associated with any blood product, naturally.  My thought is that he may be protected in a more ‘live’ way due to breastfeeding.  Or how about a breastmilk transfusion?  (I know you know I’m not kidding!!)

We basically wonder if the transfusion is necessary for a nursing baby.  Or helpful.  If he gets some random collection of some immune factors, is that really better, in terms of fighting a virus, than breastmilk that is environment specific?  Whatever he’s exposed to I will already be making ‘fresh’ IgG.  But will enough get to him via my milk?  And is he essentially getting a daily transfusion of my immune ‘memory’?

His level is 150.  Not sure what normal is, but our good immunologist friend said 200 is a typical indication for a transfusion.  There’s no doubt a transfusion is indicated.  And our oncologist is pretty much the leukemia expert.  It’s just that the nuances of breastfeeding and cancer aren’t really known to him.  Sad actually.  There aren’t enough babies nursing while having chemo to have stimulated much research.

He’s not insisting.  Just ‘recommending’.  Said it would help if he was exposed to virus.

I’m inclined to not do it.  However, B (Christy’s dh, a pediatrician/hospitalist) and G (oncologist) are research driven.  And I don’t want to be be guilty of ‘breastmilk snob’ errors!!

Feel free to include my email and ask people to contact me directly since we are inpatient now.

Thanks!
God bless,
Christy”

Thank you to all of you who are able to provide support/insight to Christy!

Rebecca DeYoung-Daniels, MBA, RD, LD, IBCLC
Overland Park, KS
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