I am a nursing student currently enrolled in a childbearing class. I was 
recently on rotation on the OB floor at our hospital and had a chance to 
ecperience the nurse's role in exposing new mothers to breastfeeding. I am 
also involved with a family who has a child with special needs. Being 
involved with both of those topics has lead me to question how mothers go 
about breastfeeding baby's with Down syndrome? In your experience, how 
does the nurse educate the families with Down syndrome babies, and 
encourage them to continue to breastfeed, is this difficult?

According to Psacane, Toscano, Pirri, Continisio, Andria, Zoli, 
Strisciuglio, Concolino, Giudice, and Vicari, (2003) who did a study on 
breastfeeding mothers, said that children with Down syndrome experience a 
higher risk of becoming sick. Because of this increased risk it is very 
important that mothers breastfeed their infants with Down's syndrome. 
Mothers often give up on breastfeeding because Down syndrome infanst have 
poor motor function, and their sucking ability is slow (Psacane et al., 
2003). Infants born with Down's syndrome often have poor sucking and 
rooting reflexes which can make feeding more difficult (Mizuno, Ueda, 
2001). Down syndrome babies are more apt to be sleepy babies, and that the 
mother should awaken the baby to eat to insure proper weight gain (Sanez, 
1999). In the articles I read most of them said that greater awareness and 
encouragement of breastfeeding should be given to mothers of Down syndrome 
infants. Do you agree with this statement? And what advice would you give 
nurses who are trying to educate these families?

Mizuno, K., Ueda, A.(2001). Development of sucking behavior in infants 
with down's syndrome. Acta Paediatrica. 90 (p1384-1388).
Psacane, Toscano, Pirri, Continisio, Andria, Zoli, Strisciuglio, 
Concolino, Giudice, and Vicari. (2003). Downsyndrome and breastfeeding. 
Acta Paediatrica. 92(12).
Saenz, R. (1999). Primary care of infants and young children with down 
syndrome. American Family Physician. 59 (2).

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