Hi all, I posted about 2 wks ago about my friend's 14 month old (I have
permission to post again)who has a severe enough burn to be in a burn ICU.
The Q at that time, was just out of curriosity of *other uses of
breastmilk* topically. The first few days of his treatment, it turned out
there was another BF issue, since he was on morphine and a little too
duped to take in adequate calories, but actually he DID nurse constantly.
The "burn specialists" (surgeons?) wanted to put a NGT and add protein
powder to infant formula (lipil!) but the parents were very against the
NGT and mom wanted to pump so that the "supplement" would be BM.
Unfortunately, there was no LC on staff and none that could come in person
officially, to advocate for her, I'm a pedi, but not hers (she has been
going to a clinic and I'm just starting a practice) and so there was no
official pedi consult to advocate for her either. It seemed that they were
BF obliging though, b/c they got her a pump, and thankfully she had a few
good phone calls w/ a very competant LC and a LLLL (b/c being that she
never pumped her now 14 mo postpartum stressed out breasts didn't want to
give anything to the pump) BUT he was really nursing A LOT, her supply
greatly increased and in a few days he was off morphine and eating well in
addition to nursing (also nursing all night) At one point while visiting,
I told a doc on call that I was a pedi, he said "oh good, you can help us
with the feeding *issue*" I said, "well, BM has just as many calories,
fat, and protein as formula and has plenty of antiinfective properties,
like anitbodies, leukotrienes, and macrophages" (too bad, I didn't know
until a few days later that it also has Epidermal Growth Factor! - BF
Abstracts 2002- and I forgot to mention Insulin!)He said, "yeah, thats
great" ... something else, then "when did she stop nursing?" I said "what?
she's been nursing" He must have been really clueless about BF seemed like
he assumed she must have weaned him b4 a yr and somehow was able to
immediately spontaneously relactate! My friend said that although they
have been somewhat supportive, they have said a few things to her that
made her also Q. their BF knowledge.
Anyway, sorry after all that to get to my point. They keep talking about
how he's not healling as fast as they had expected it to be. And NOW they
are saying that he really should have had the feeding tube and that he's
not getting adequate calories b/c burn victims need so much extra (reminds
me of the NICU debate- I told her about "lactoengineering") Anyway, they
made her really doubt her decision b/c eventhough they are not pedi's
(or... IBCLC's!) 40% of their pts are they same age, same situation as he!
I also feel bad (although I never advised her directly as a doctor, I told
her what I thought and also encouraged the exclusive BF as long as he was
able to physically take a lot in- he was also eating plenty of fish,
chicken meat and eggs!) Maybe I was also wrong I know the BM changes in
composition as they get older, so could it be that there WASN'T enough
protein for his skin to heal? I so wanted him to heal miraculously fast,
to be an example of all the curative properties of BM and here they seem
to be saying "I told you so!"
Thanks, humbly yours
Amy Kotler MD (pediatrician and mom to BF'ing 21 m old)
I'm starting to get overwhelmed from Lactnet and thinking of going no mail
for a while but will stick around to see any replies
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