The phrase I picked up on in the description of this case was that the baby
had been hospitalized for a week, obviously at a very young age.

I have previously worked for CAS (I think it's called CPS in the U.S.) and
we had a seminar at one point on failure-to-thrive (which dealt almost
exclusively with bottlefeeding, by the way). Many of these cases are not
really the fault of the parents, we were told (although some definitely are)
but the result of a baby who does not want to eat. One cause was a traumatic
experience early on, such as a hospital stay, surgery, multiple separations
with different caregivers, etc. So I wonder if this is the problem with this
baby. And I do know that after an ear infection, fluid can stay behind the
eardrum for many weeks,  making swallowing painful. (I know this from
personal experience.)

If the mother thinks this might be part of it, she could try giving the baby
something for pain relief, to make sucking more comfortable.

If she thinks it might be the trauma of being hospitalized, she could try
some of the techniques people often use with a nursing strike - nursing in
the bathtub, nursing the baby in her sleep, nursing while walking around,
etc. I would also suggest using a sling or carrier as much as possible -
this baby needs to feel secure and safe.

Teresa Pitman
LLL Leader, Guelph, Ontario

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