Ann - what a story of over-intervention,  poor little baby......

This baby is growing well.

He spits up - so do all babies to some degree. Do the parents know what
would be normal? If the baby is in pain or discomfort, there could be
several reasons why - but don't we need to know why the parents think the
baby seems in pain? Is he wriggling and fussing because of fast let down,
long time crying before feeding, being made to come off breast too soon,
doesn't like head being held....or what???

It sounds as if you have (very sensibly) tried the simple things by
adjusting the way the baby feeds, but sometimes adjustments need time to
work...and maybe the baby needs two breasts at a feed now. Are the parents
happy with baby-led pacing and timing of feeds?

>Parents tried reflux
>meds which did not seem to make a difference, I believe propulsid and
>reglan. They were trying to just go with this and have weekly weight checks.
>Baby gained only one ounce last week

You'd expect this in a baby who is piling on the weight so well! And as you
suspect, it could be more to do with the change in scale than anything
else....


>Went to see pediatric gastroenterologist last week who diagnosed breastmilk
>allergy.

Uhoh.

>Told them to take baby off breast for 72 hours, pump milk and feed
>predigested.

Uhoh again.

> Parents decided to try. Baby refused to drink from bottle,
>refused predigested. They were only able to get small amounts in her (5
>ounces in 24 hours). They went back to gastroenterologist.  He said baby had
>blood in stool.  Dad looked at test, could not see a positive reaction.  No
>obvious blood.  Dr. scoped the baby.  Said, sorry it is not breastmilk
>allergy, it is gastritis from reflux.  Severe redness in throat and
>esophagus.

Yeah - probably from the formula.

>This MD says he diagnoses 10-11 cases of breastmilk allergy every month.

You mean over-diagnoses it....I am sorry to sound cynical, but do we really
believe that?  And his solution when he suspects this  is to poke this poor
little baby about in the mouth and  throat, and hunt for blood in the
stool, worrying the heck out of everyone....

These parents will have been made even more frantic by this sort of
over-doctoring.

My suggestions - and that's all they are, because I accept that of course
there is a chance this baby does need specialist assessment - is for the
mother (and the dad, too)  to get some decent TLC, and instead of trying to
solve this baby's spitting and fussing by doing something different every
day, to just go with the flow a bit. Feed the baby when he wants, for as
long as he wants, on one two three or however many sides he seems to
want...to wrap him in a cloth for the spit up and to stop beating herself
up.

Personally - and this is very personal and very UK-ish! -  I wouldn't even
bother with the dairy-free diet for the mother. Just let her eat and drink
what she wants. Try and enjoy life, and get over this bad experience.  She
has a spitty, fussy baby. He will get better in time, and she will learn
better to cope.....

I'd love to hear other thoughts on this. Am I being *too relaxed* about
this, then?

Heather Welford Neil
NCT bfc Newcastle upon Tyne UK

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