>I am doing a search, but also am asking how many of you recommend L-A as a
>preventive for all moms who are taking antibiotics?
>
>We are in the middle of a thrush epidemic, it seems, here in Puerto Rico
>and I am tempted to start a campaign (if I get your blessings) for this.
>
>How would you recommend it be administered?  Via capsules mom takes, via
>opening up capsules and applying some to nipple so baby can have some also?
> When?  Who?  For how long?

Jeanette, I have been recommending it for moms who have had abx at the
birth.  Often I do a preview and find that because of Beta strep they will
be having abx.  In my statistical pool of 5 this year, the 3 who did take
the acidophilus faithfully from the time they got home, did not go on to
develop yeast overgrowth. The 2 who didn't take it seriously and forgot to
take the A. had a several-week battle with yeast.  They were very sorry
that they hadn't taken preventive measures.

I have worked with only one baby who had abx when mom didn't. (It is so
rare for anyone to *not* have it these days.) I suggested that she give
bifidus to baby, but she asked the doctor and he said no, so the didn't.
He didn't develop thrush.  So I haven't been able to test it with the
babies yet.

The way that I recommend it for babies is to open a capsule, sprinkle about
1/3 of the cap. on a finger and let baby suck the finger.

Since taking acidophilus won't hurt any of us, it seems like a good
precaution for these moms.  I recommended that they take capsules of the
refrigerated A. and that they take 6 a day, the same as what I recommend
when battling yeast.  I don't know if they would need to take that much,
but I want to err on the side of over rather than under.  The baby can take
the same acidophilus or a combination acidophilus/bifidus, or just bifidus.
The treatment is continued for at least 3 weeks.  If mom has had a history
of yeast infections, then I recommend that she continue for a month or more.

In our GI tract we have mainly acidophilus and some bifidus, and in an
infant there is mainly bifidus and some acidophilus. When treating both I
usually have mom get a combination.

Patricia Gima, IBCLC
Milwaukee



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