Interesting that this issue of Crohn's disease and bf has just come up.  My
husband, a gastroenterologist, came home last night and told me he had been
called to the maternity floor to see a new mom.
Just gave birth to her 4th child, c-section, and had her tubes tied.  My
husband was called because the woman has Crohn's disease.  While taking her
history my husband asked "You're breastfeeding the new baby?"  (I love the way
he phrases it!  He also asks "You don't smoke, do you?")  She said she was not
bf.  He advised her that she should and told her that it would help prevent
Crohn's disease in her new baby.  She said she didn't want to.
When he left the room he found her OB and pediatrician at the nurses' station
and told them that he was recommending that she bf the baby in order to
prevent Crohn's.  The OB said "No, it's too late, the baby is already a day
old.  She doesn't want to anyway."  The pedi said "BF doesn't really make any
difference, and besides with all the meds she has to take for the c-section
and the Crohn's, she wouldn't be able to even if she wanted to."  My husband
couldn't get anybody to change their minds, and she's going to artificially
feed this baby, just like she did the first three.
Cynthia D. Payne
LLL of Berkshire County Massachusetts