Do any of you have references that breastfeeding a baby with a cardiac
defect is NOT much more stress than bottle feeding?

I had a mother contact me with a three month old baby with a large VSD. The
baby had been bf to the age of one month, and the parents were told by the
cardiologist that they are making the poor baby work too hard for his food,
and that it is not fair for the baby to go on bf him (!!!). The mother is
very dedicated and she is bottle feeding EBM most of the time (she has
trouble keeping up with demand - she is the one using the Av**ent pump).

 The baby had pneumonia and was hospitalized lately, lost weight, and now
needs to get lots of calories to grow enough to get operated. He's not much
over birthweight. They were recomended to give the baby soy based formula,
and add cornstarch, Caloreen (some kind of carbohydrate) and MCT oil. When
mother asked about breastmilk, the dietician said that if she insists on
using THAT, she has to add a scoop of soy based infant formula powder. Mom
is using breastmilk, without oil (baby vomited this). I told her NOT to use
the soy powder - doesn't sound right to me  - too much solute load. Baby is
also getting Digoxin and Fusid, and gaining quite well now.

Mom has had baby suckle empty breast for comfort once or twice a day (she
was afraid to offer more), since age of one month, and asks if there is a
possibility to get baby to nurse from her, when I told her that nursing
wasn't harmful. She feels baby doesn't latch on right, and is not getting
milk from her.

I would love to hear from those of you who have experience with babies with
cardiac defects.

Thanks,

Mira Leibovich, MD
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