Dear Drs Jack, Tom, Julie, Maryelle,  et al, etc.

Mother with 17mo old boy is being told to wean immediately so that
she can be treated for Rosecea with Dicloxiciline and Metrogel.  Can
we have some alternatives to these medications, please?

The boy nurses frequently, eats few solids and has had slow weight
gain.  Obviously not ready to stop nursing.

The story is almost tragic coming just 5 days before Christmas.  She
tried to wean abruptly after taking one dose of the medicine.  Baby
was so upset, he just screamed.   Mom called WIC in tears, saying
things like "He's driving me crazy, I don't know what to do."  The
WIC nutritionist gave mom the phone number for Family Outreach
(social services) and called LLL asking a Leader to call mom.
The mother called social services who offered to take the baby
"for a few days" so she could calm down and baby could wean.

By the time the Leader reached the mother, she was in tears, not
taking her medicine and social services had the baby.  Fortunately,
the Leader helped both WIC and mom clarify what was going on, mom
called Family Outreach and is getting baby back this evening.

What a long, horrible crisis to go through just because we don't know
how to tell doctors that it's okay to nurse past one year, it's okay
to ask for meds compatible with breastfeeding, and it's okay to put
off treatment if it's not life-threatening.

I promised to ask our favorite docs for alternative medicines for
treatment to give this mom more options.  Thank you for the information.

Jeanne B. Fisher, MSN, RN, IBCLC
Breastfeeding Promotion Nurse
Texas Department of Health
(512)406-0744
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