<< Regarding moms who have a lot of IV fluids during labor or delivery. I see
this all the time at the hospital where I work. Seems the nursing staff
considers all the voiding these babies do as normal. I also see these babies
taking a longer time to get "hungry" than a mother who delivered without IV
fluids. I also wonder if some of the "weight loss" these babies do is really
just the extra fluids from the labor or delivery. >>

Has anyone thought of doing research project on this topic? I suppose babies
whose mother's amount of IV fluid and above could be weighed before and after
feeds as an estimate of fluid intake and all diapers weighed to estimate
amount of urine output and only liquid type stools would be weighed (it would
be difficult on every diaper that contained both urine and stools).
Mother's could also be checked for degree of edema by measurement of hands
feet calves and a subjective breast edema scale of some sort. Fluid intake
and output could be tracked at least while mom is in the hospital.
Since they get puffy in their feet and hands one could also use foot and hand
diameter to measure babies edema.
Against a control group of babies whose mothers had no IV fluids or fluids
below a given amount.
I can see several confounding variables such as supplements etc... but this
would be an excellent research project that could first be done with a small
client base and then repeated with a larger group. Anyone out there looking
for a thesis project? This one would be easy and is also desperately needed.

Marie Davis, RN, IBCLC
Email to: [log in to unmask]
http://sites.netscape.net/mariedavisrnibclc/index.htm
      also at
 http://hometown.aol.com/davisrnclc/myhomepage/index.htm

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