Dear Lactnetters,

Quick intro: I recently rejoined Lactnet after a long hiatus. I'm an LLL
Leader in Petach Tikva, Israel and sat for the IBCLC exam in August.

About two weeks ago a baby in Jerusalem turned blue and suffered brain
damage while breastfeeding on a bus.
The newspapers reported that the breastfeeding may have been a factor in
this tragic incident. I have heard from local sources that the baby
suffocated because the mother was trying to feed modestly under a blanket.

Last Sunday, the director of Beterem, Israel's main child safety
organization, was interviewed in the newspaper Haaretz about a baby who died
after being forgotten in a car.  At the end of the interview she is asked
about the bus incident:

"A baby of a month and a half is now in hospital in very serious condition
after choking while his mother nursed him on a bus. Is it dangerous to nurse
a baby when traveling?

Absolutely. Parents must know that it is forbidden to nurse babies during
traveling. The baby's windpipe is only the size of the small finger on a
hand. Very few things can pass through there with ease. Secondly, the cough
reflex that exists in a child or adult does not exist in the same way in a
baby. A baby that has drunk too large an amount of liquid cannot bring it up
and he chokes. Also, the movement during traveling causes liquids to go into
the windpipe. Just as we do not read while traveling, or get dressed while
traveling, we must not nurse while traveling. It's better to hear the baby
cry with hunger for a short while than to nurse him while traveling. It's in
our hands."

Link:
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/features/kids-safety-expert-orly-silvinger-why-are-children-hurt-particularly-in-summer-1.377915

I only just saw the English now, and the line about reading or dressing does
not appear in the original Hebrew. I get sick while reading on a bus but
I've noticed that it's a popular activity.

I have not determined whether this is a long-standing policy of Beterem or a
kneejerk response to this incident. As I wrote above, the baby probably
suffocated, making Silvinger's comments about breastmilk in the windpipe and
coughing irrelevant in this case. But Hebrew doesn't distinguish between
choking and breastfeeding, so the news reports were ambiguous.

I spoke to a senior pediatrician in the emergency room at the local
children's hospital, who in 20 years has never seen a healthy baby suffer
damage from choking on breastmilk or formula.

After I wrote to Beterem the director tried to contact me and then went on
vacation, so I should be speaking to her in about a week. Here are my
questions to you in advance of the discussion:

   1. Have you ever heard of this concern about breastfeeding in a moving
   vehicle? The issue is NOT that the baby is unrestrained. Have other safety
   organizations issued similar guidelines?
   2. Shouldn't there be similar concern about bottle-feeding or solid
   foods?
   3. Is anyone aware of studies that have addressed this issue?
   4. Are there any cases of babies who suffered damage from choking on a
   liquid while traveling (excluding those with neurological or other issues
   related to swallowing)?

I hope that this will not be another reason to harass mothers who nurse in
public. Of course, this most affects poorer mothers who rely on public
transport. I've also written about it on my website:
http://www.amotherinisrael.com/new-safety-rule-dont-feed-babies-on-the-bus

Hannah Katsman
LLLI
Petach Tikva, Israel

             ***********************************************

Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail
2. To start it again: set lactnet mail
3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome