Hi, all. Thanks to all who answered re: the mom and baby with
candidiasis and no hot water in washing machine. The answers were
ingenious. What an amazing bunch you (we) are! The mother was
astounded that total strangers would care and would help, and is very
grateful to y'all. I think that it gave her impetus to really go all
out to try to get rid of the yeastie-beasties.
Today's question: I have a mom, pI, IVF, baby born at 31 weeks, now 1
month old, still in hospital, not yet 2000g. Mom was told by staff
that baby is "anemic". When I asked what his blood results were, mom
told me "29" (I guess this is hematocrit, yes?) She was told it was
like a hemoglobin of 10... Now, if I remember correctly, term babies
are born with artificially high RBC - does this hold for a 31 week
preemie? Would a Hct of 29 in a 1 month old 31 week preemie really be
anemia? Another variable: mom is expressing and baby receiving about 4
feeds of EBM/day. Mom is very anemic (was 7.7 at delivery) and is
taking Fe twice a day. Could mom's Fe supplement be interfering with
baby's Fe binding capability? Should mom's Fe dosage be lowered? This
baby may go home next week and has never been put to breast (staff
says "too weak", but he is given pacifier for good old non-nutritive
sucking. :-/ ) Some day I feel like doing an article on selective
reading habits of pediatricians.... ;-)
Would the wonderful Prof. Gartner in Chicago answer? And others with
experience with preemies?
Since I am on nomail temporarily (I hope), please answer me privately.
Many thanks. Judy Knopf in baby-unfriendly Beer Sheva, Israel
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