Just had a client return to me with her 7 week old daughter. Initial latch
problems were solved days after birth, but not long after our consult, baby
was diagnosed with laryngomalacia. She has frequently raspy breathing, but
it is considered a mild case and has not been treated.
A few weeks back mom contacted me about very colicky behavior. She
eliminated all dairy at my suggestion, and said that the screaming episodes
stopped. However, she says that her baby is *very* gassy. Baby needs to be
burped frequently, has very loud burps when she does, and still has a very
noisy tummy with lots of gas and air at both ends. Baby's feeding times are
very erratic, and she has begun to click while sucking, and to pull away
from the breast frequently during feeds. Mom says that her daughter may not
sleep more than 10 minutes at a stretch on some days, and that mom is
chronically sleep-deprived and fighting depression as a result.
I did notice a light white coat on the back of her tongue, and baby did have
thrush a month ago. Normally I would not flag this yet, but given the
severity of the situation, treatment at the most would do nothing and at the
best might make a difference. It would be nice if that was the solution to
the clicking, gas, and unsettled behavior, but I'm not convinced that it is.
As far as allergies are concerned, I have my doubts that there are other
foods besides dairy that are causing problems since the dairy elimination
did get rid of one major issue.
My question for lactnetters: is it reasonable to assume that the
laryngomalacia is causing this baby to swallow excess air while nursing and
thus mechanically contributing to gas problems? If so, can anything be done
for them? I am having mom try some above-the-breast positioning techniques,
nursing laying down (to get some sleep!), and I suggested some adjustments
to her burping technique. We also worked with a sling to assist in baby
sleeping better. I would appreciate any expert input/opinions.
Lisa Marasco, BA, IBCLC
Santa Maria, CA
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