I have a question from a bfing mom with Lupus.  She has been told that with
SLE the antibodies themselves are abnormal.  The mom is concerned that she is
passing abnormal antibodies to her baby.  Anybody know more about this?

<<A medical text explains that "Patients with SLE (lupus) produce abnormal
antibodies, which are proteins found in the body that fight off any foreign
invader, be it an infection with a bacterium, a virus, or anything that the
body knows should not be there. In SLE patients, however, the body forms
antibodies against itself, and more specifically, against different parts of
its own cells."  I'm supposed to be providing my baby (yes, he's now a 2 1/2
year old AVID nurser!) with antibodies against infection.  Am I instead,
providing him with antibodies against himself/myself? >>

I did a Lactnet search and found a post that said the antibodies are normal,
but that the body reacts abnormally, causing the antibodies to attack
muscles, organs etc.  If this is true I'd like a little more detail.  Please
reply privately - I'm way behind in my posts.

Cynthia D. Payne, IBCLC
In the Berkshires of western Massachusetts

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