LACTNET Archives

Lactation Information and Discussion

LACTNET@COMMUNITY.LSOFT.COM

Options: Use Forum View

Use Monospaced Font
Show Text Part by Default
Show All Mail Headers

Message: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Topic: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Author: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]

Print Reply
Subject:
From:
Catherine Fetherston <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Fri, 8 Jun 2001 16:25:10 -0700
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (49 lines)
>She stated that she had a condition with her first child that her
> previous pediatrician said was "breast milk fever." It is caused by an excess
> of sodium in her colostrum. This excess causes the baby to have a fever. The
> cure is to nurse using an SNS with pedialyte in it. He stated to her that he
> had done work in this area and is published. The physician is in the La Jolla
> area in California. I have never heard of this condition.

 Hi Camille
Perhaps the condition your paed is describing is Neonatal hypernatraemic
dehydration secondary to diminished lactation. Although, this condition has
nothing to do with the high sodium levels seen in colostrum. (It is not
clear from your post at what stage of lactation your paed appears to think
this is a threat). Sodium is initially high after birth and then falls
rapidly within the first week. The initial high sodium is not a problem.
What will be a problem is if lactation  does not become well established.
The breast will then shows signs of involution, supply will be reduced and
sodium (among other things) will increase. The baby will become dehydrated.

 I become very concerned when practitioners or researchers talk about
"hypernatraemic milk" as if it were a primary problem. It is not, it is a
function or a symptom of the primary problem. If it is described as "the
problem" mothers then think there is something "wrong" or could be
potentially wrong with their normal milk or their ability to produce a
normal milk supply. The primary problem is insufficient or failing lactation
- fix that and there is no hypernatraemic milk (except in cases of
inflammation or infection - but that is transitory and unproblematic unless
the taste causes breast refusal) .

Milk fever is a colloquialism (I donšt think I have actually ever seen it as
a definition although most probably it exists somewhere in some text) used
to describe the flu like symptoms seen in mums during initiation of
lactogenesis II. It is most common in women who become very full or even
engorged and is not related to infection. It is most likely due to the
leakage of pro inflammatory cytokines into the systemic circulation while
the paracellular pathways are still open. It passes without event if the
breasts are drained adequately.  I have never heard this term applied to the
situation your paed describes. Perhaps he has decided to invent a new
meaning for it. Would be interested to hear of his published work.

Regards
Cathy Fetherston RM MSc IBCLC
Perth Western Australia

             ***********************************************
The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html

ATOM RSS1 RSS2