Hi Everybody:
This is in response to Anne's post about the 48-hour old baby who won't
open his mouth. What else has happened to him? Was he intubated, or deep
suctioned at birth? Was his mouth invaded by a probing bulb syringe? Oral
assault traumatizes babies, and may even inflict physical damage that needs
time to heal. Try leaving him skin-to-skin on mom's bare chest and give him
time to come around. Putting more things in his mouth won't fix this; he is
like a turtle right now. Poking a turtle is not the way to get him to come out
of his shell. He has to feel safe. I wouldn't worry about his intake for
another day or two either....keep us posted. Warmly, Nikki