Hi everyone,
        I feel like I'm asking alot of questions this week, but I need to call on
your collective wisdom again.  Medical floor of the hospital called me
about patient with ulcerative colitis who is breastfeeding a one month old.
 She is pumping and finger feeding both EBM and ABM.  Her milk volume has
decreased, so now giving about twice as much formula as breastmilk.
        She is on Asacol (5-aminosalicyclic acid) which I have checked out, and is
fine with breastfeeding.  However, yesterday she was also put on Solucortef
(sorry I don't know the generic name,but it's an IV corticosteroid) 500 mg.
QID.  I can't find information on the safety of this.  If it is not
absorbable though the infants GI tract, is it okay?  Also,she will be put
on oral predisolone when the IV is discontinued in a few days--is this more
of a problem?  The sources I've looked at say it's okay at lower doses, but
may pose a risk in higher doses.
        This is my first contact with this person, and I'm not sure yet why she
doesn't have the baby feeding from the breast.  If there is a reasonable
degree of concern about the meds, she can continue to finger feed ABM while
increasing her milk volume by pumping.  However, if they are quite safe, I
would like to work on getting this baby back on the breast.

                Hope someone can offer advice. Thanks a million, I can't remember life
before Lactnet, it must have been like the DARK AGES!!

                                Paula Conning BScN,IBCLC
                        Orangeville,Ontario--it's sunny,warm, and  Saturday!!