LactNetters, I'm asking for help on this one -- especially any of you who
are specialists in allergies and immune deficiencies, and anyone in Ohio who
might know where more help was available.

>Dear Katherine,
>
>I found your address from the parentsplace web page, and I am
>interested in any information you can give me, that you may have run
>across in your research in regards to breastmilk and immune defiencies.
>
>My daughter Emily is 20 mos old and still nursing. I thank god that I
>chose to nurse her and then chose not to wean her at nine mos. For
>until she was 13 mos old we were unaware that she is immune defiecient,
>specifically she does not produce immunoglobin g2. Up until that point
>she got sick a lot, and we wondered, but never got ill enough for her
>peditricans to suspect an immune defiency. We found it when I insisted
>that they start looking for reasons for her frequent ear infections and
>viral infections. (I had already given up all dairy products in my
>diet, but no slack was seen in the frequency of her ear infections. I
>kept on asking about other items in my diet, like wheat, but got no
>support)
>
>I nursed her exclusively until the age of nine mos, and then started
>solids, we still have not introduced the common food allergens into her
>diet. We are waiting until 24 mos to introduce wheat, eggs, chocolate,
>dairy, citrus, peanuts and fish/seafood.
>
>This past month, her pediatrician told me that she was not maturing out
>of her immune defiency as soon as they had orginally hoped (the window
>of 18 mos to 24 mos, stated in the textbooks). So I have pulled her out
>of day care and am taking an extended leave of absence from work to be
>at home with her. Although I have always pumped my breastmilk at work
>for her, my production level has been dropping off and I wanted to
>increase her opportunites to nurse and just be with her, outside of the
>enormous amounts of time I have had to stay home from work with her due
>to her being too ill to attend daycare.
>
>But outside of our personal story, I am interested in information
>specifically on the immunological aspects of breastfeeding, especially
>if there is any information specific to immune defiencies. I amlooking
>for general information as well as anything that could have a practical
>application in our situation.
>
>We have seen several specialists, including the best pediatric
>immunologist locally (Columbus OH) and a pediatric ENT (eartubes did
>not slow down her ear infections, but they did make the ear infections
>easier to detect. Maturation seems to have finally helped the ears, but
>we now have frequent sinus infections and reactive airways). And of
>course, we have a fantastic pediatric practice (all women who
>breastfeed their own babies for extended periods). All these doctors
>are very supportive of our extended nursing, but it seems to based on
>the belief that nursing is best. I am interested in more solid
>information.
>
>Believe me, I know that my breastmilk is the best thing for my
>daughter, and nursing has done more to optimize her health than any of
>the medical interventions we have tried.
>
>I thank you for you time and courtesy,
>
>Lisa Ely
>
>[log in to unmask]
>
>
Katherine A. Dettwyler, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Anthropology
Specialist in infant feeding and growth of children
Texas A&M University
e-mail to [log in to unmask]
(409) 845-5256
(409) 778-4513