Baby may well not need surgery for 6 weeks or longer - maybe months - and
breastmilk is the best  thing for her to prevent infections. etc. until
then.  Mom will need lots of patience and encouragement, as it will take
this baby longer to learn to breastfeed effectively.  When she is ready to
try it, a near-upright football hold will minimize baby's shortness of
breath with feedings.  Also, massaging and hand-expressing while baby is
latched on will give baby more immediate gratification during the learning
process.  Tell mom there are studies that show babies with heart defects
are less likely to drop their blood-oxygen levels while breastfeeding than
bottle-feeding!  (Marino, O'Brien, and LoRe.  Journal of Pediatric
Nursing, Dec 1995, p.360) This baby could also have any of the many common
sucking problems.  A supplementation device might be appropriate.

Becky Saenz, MD
Assistant Professor
University of MS Medical Center
Department of Family Medicine
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