Karen -

Two thoughts came to mind.  One is a distant relative of mine, now 3, who has eaten poorly from infancy because feeding was taken so seriously by the family.  It shaded into an Ezzo-style urge for "neatness" as she began solids, and every bite became a power struggle.  Is this baby in imminent danger?  What if they took all pressure off and mom just allowed baby time at breast as the baby sought it?  Did something - maybe a brief illness - interfere with feeding for a short time so that the parents panicked and now the whole thing has become a power struggle similar to what can happen with Ezzo?

My other thought is a true zebra, but I did see it once.  The mother of a 9 month old called about a nursing strike.  I gave her suggestions, but didn't hear back.  The mom called a year later to tell me she hadn't gotten back to me because she'd discovered the reason for the strike - sexual abuse of the baby and the two older children by the husband, which had caused oral aversion in the baby.

There's a world of difference between these two scenarios, but they do share the notion of intrusions on a baby's mouth to the point that the baby rejects food rather than tolerate further intrusions. 

Diane Wiessinger, MS, IBCLC  Ithaca, NY  USA
www.wiessinger.baka.com

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