Rachel wrote about a baby who "resists" feeds, spends hours
crying/screaming, and has yet to receive a diagnosis that has been found
useful.

To say that this baby sounds like he is in pain during breastfeeding and
possibly chronically seems a gross understatement. The first thought that
came to mind was untreated trauma from the vacuum extraction. The second
thought was whether torticollis has been ruled out. Torticollis involves
painful spasms in the neck resulting in rotation or tilting of the neck.
The third was whether any other musculoskeletal disorders have been ruled
out, such as Klippel-Feil syndrome which results in muscle and bone
deformities. I've worked with a mother whose child has this syndrome. It
took two years to get her child diagnosed correctly. His torticollis was
diagnosed much earlier, but she had received no help with the impact of his
congenital disorders on breastfeeding due to the misshapen and fused
vertebrae in his neck. His symptoms included vomiting, inconsolable crying,
and great difficulty with breastfeeding. His pediatrician repeatedly told
her that breastfeeding will get better, just keep trying. I included her
story (Kassie and Andreas) in my LC Unit, "Congenital Disorders in the
Nursling," and an excerpt from her story appears on the publications page
of my website (http://home.attbi.com/~ammawell). I'm sure there are other
possibilities, too. A more thorough work-up sounds in order. This mother
(and her baby) deserve more than to be told "it's colic."

Good Mojab, C. Congenital disorders in the nursling. Unit 5. Lactation
Consultant Series II. Schaumburg, IL: La Leche League International, 2002.

Hoping the mother and baby find the help they need soon,

Cynthia

Cynthia Good Mojab, MS clinical psychology, IBCLC, RLC
Ammawell
Email: [log in to unmask]
Web site: http://home.attbi.com/~ammawell

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