In a message dated 5/27/00 3:17:51 AM, [log in to unmask] writes:
<< Mother refused to admit the baby. She took him home.
Continues to breastfeed baby and begins treatment for baby of 12 drops of
Echinecea and 10 drops of V-DC for the baby and Comfrey 2 dropper fulls for
herself since Comfrey goes through the breastmilk which will also take care
of the baby. >>
Yvonne,
I have to say I agree w/ Chris on this one. Speaking as someone who has used
allopathic drugs in only *one case* for all of my children in 11 years, I am
not comfortable w/ giving herbs to newborns, either. When I have treated my
young babies herbally, it has been through my own milk, and even then very
carefully and rarely. However, like Chris, I have used homeopathy from the
earliest weeks w/ my babies, if needed. I would recommend she try a homeopath
vs an herbalist, esp if she can find an MD. BTW, I do not any naturopath who
would be so unconcerned about this baby (have you had permission to speak to
this naturopath directly to express your concern?)
<Yvonne wrote:
<I saw mother again on Wednesday. Breastfeeding was going well. Baby looked
good. Mother could not nurse on R due to pain. I lent her a pump so that
she could give that side a break and continue to nurse on L. Mother felt
good and was doing well.>>
<<I see baby again today. Baby has now weighs 8 lb which means he has lot
more than 10% of birth weight. I leave strict instructions that mother needs
to feed
baby every 1 hour, keep him skin-to-skin, nurse him every 2 hours at night
and should not go more than 2 hours without nursing. >>
Sharon responded:
<<Throughout this history you keep saying that breastfeeding isgoing well.
And yet the baby is getting dehydrated and losing weight and mom is unable to
nurse on one side due to extreme pain and I am assuming some kind of nipple
trauma. This does not sound to me like breastfeeding is going well>>
I have the same thoughts--it does not sound like bf has ever been going well
with this baby. When bf is going well, the baby does not lose so much weight,
mom does not have to wean baby from one side, etc. Have you considered a
supplementer w/ EBM at the breast?
<< Mother gets a call from Dr. in ER, baby has tested
positive for Staph. Need to readmit baby to hospital. Mother tells him she
will take him to another hospital. Dr. is not happy and tell her she will
call the cops. In the meantime she calls her midwife and her pediatrician
(for this baby). Midwife tells her not to worry, cops will probably not be
called. Pediatrician tells her to take the baby to another hospital for
another opinion. Cops show up, do not report because they see no reason to.
I get there and hear the story. Nursing is going well although mother cannot
use her R due to pain. Mother does not want to take baby to hospital due to
fear of having to readmit and possible use of antibiotics. After my
suggestion, mother decides to take baby to pediatrician the next day.>>
<snip>
Pediatrician fines no problem with the baby, but will not continue with her
services to mother due to mothers desire to use herbs for treatment. The
Echinecia and V-DC should be given to the baby after breastfeeding or with
breastmilk. Mother is to supplement baby after nursing with pumped
breastmilk. I will weigh the baby tomorrow morning. >>
.
Carol wrote:
<<Here is my 'nurse brain' screaming loudly over my lactation part. This
child
needs to be treated. So many early warning signs, wt loss, fever early on,
+strep in mom, possible, if not probable +cultures in baby. Even wth
breastfeeding and herbs this little ones immune system just isn't up to par
and needs to be treated. I would strongly encourage mom to treat, even as
outpatient. Good luck, it sounds as if things might get worse before
better.>>
Kathy wrote:
<<In regards to this infant whose mother has a history of Group B strep
and has tested positive for Staph, it is imperative that s/he recieve medical
care immediately. Infants who are septic may show only soft signs such as
poor feeding and lethargy. A temperature in a newborn always warrents a
further workup. This baby is showing signs of being sick. I have had the
unfortunate experience in the NICU of seeing babies die of overwhelming
sepsis and it can happen quickly. I would use all of your powers of
persuasion to convince this mother to get the baby to the hospital and if
this doesn't work a call to CPS (Child Protection Services) may be warranted.
I understand the difficult situation you are in but this baby needs medical
care. Perhaps a call to the pediatrician who can access CPS and make them
understand the importance of quick action would be helpful. Sorry my first
post is so long.>>
As much as I agree that this baby needs further intervention, it is hard to
say what that should be, as it sounds like he needs to be nursing better as a
baseline. More breastmilk just might be the solution. My biggest concern is
that everyone is always so ready to call some outside force when a parent
refuses "the standard of care". I am not surprised this mother is afraid to
go back to the hospital as she has had the police called on her once already.
Remember that both her naturopath *and* ped said there was nothing wrong w/
the baby, so she is not avoiding medical care. B/c I work extensively w/ the
homebirth community and other families who choose holistic care for their
children, I often see families make extra effort to avoid allopathic
intervention. IMO, the problem is not the choices these families make, but
the attitudes of others who find them unacceptable. Perhaps if the ped had
been willing to respect the mother's choices and work *with* the naturopath,
this baby would be in better shape. The same for the ER doc who had to have
it all his way or no way. If they had offered to treat the baby as an
outpatient, perhaps this baby would be getting better care right now. This
mother is afraid of having her baby under the control of those who have
clearly conveyed that they are antagonistic towards her. I would be afraid of
that, too! I would suggest you try to take a larger role in helping her to
find a provider more willing to work with her, rather than against her, for
the sake of this baby.
Speaking as a mother who has had to make life-or-death choices for my own
son, I can tell you that it can be extremely unnerving, no matter how strong
you may be otherwise, to find a way though the extremely controlling and
manipulative world that allopathic medicine *can* be. I was lucky to be
working in the hospital at the time, so had huge advocates in pediatrics.
This mother needs an advocate, too.
Jennifer Tow, IBCLC, CT, USA
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