Susan, there seems to be a dirth of information regarding either the safety
or the effectiveness of such thickeners even for normal newborns/young
infants, much less premies. The lit is conflicting but seems to lean toward
low effectiveness value for thickeners for term infants. Safety would
encompass exposure to product ingredients and airway/GI issues. It amazes me
how accepted such agents are without corresponding evidence simply because
they come under the category of a nutritional vs pharmaceutical agent... I'd
hate to have my babies directly exposed to either xanthan gum (SimplyThick)
or rice starch during their early months and all of them were term,
especially if I learned the evidence base is weak.

I wonder if this is like bed rest "prescribed" in many high-risk pregnancies
-- the lit doesn't really support it for many of the risk factors but the
HPs feel the need to do something? At any rate, I wonder if this FDA warning
could be used as an impetus for more research on the development and
treatment of reflux/GERD in preterm or even term infants?

K


> Date:    Mon, 23 May 2011 13:43:11 -0700
> From:    Susan Watson <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: FDA Warning not to use Simply Thick for premature infants
>
> Hello, I'm a lactation consultant in a large level three NICU and my
> manager asked me inquire about what other NICU's were using for breast milk
> when thickening is required when OPMS shows infant can not safely swallow
> thin fluids? I understand using rice cereal to thicken breastmilk is
> problematic due to enzymes in breastmilk breaking down the rice cereal,
> although I believe we used it years ago. Anyone out there have
> any suggestions? These are premature infants still in =0Athe NICU.http://
> www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm256253.htm<http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm256253.htm=0A=0A=
> =0AThanks,=0A=0ASusan>



> Susan Watson, RN, BSN, IBCLC, RLC
>
>             ***********************************************
>
>
-- 
Karen Gromada
www.karengromada.com/
http://www.marchforbabies.org/karengromada

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