Hi - In tonight's local newspaper was an article by the "Family Doctor". I believe it is sold to a wide number of newspapers - I certainly have read it in various parts of the country - and is about nursing. Please skip if you wish (this is rather long) NURSING MOM NEEDS TO USE COMMON SENSE by Allan Bruckhelm Q.- What can I do to make my daughter understand some simple knowledge that has served our family for generations? She is nursing her firstborn, my fifth grandchild. From time to time, the baby has a loose stool and diarrhea. My experience tells me this is most likely because of some dietary indiscretion on her part. While she is nursing the child, she must be more cautious about eating spicy food that can lead to this problem. She just sits there and "pooh-poohs" me, dismisses my advice as just a bit of ancient folklore. Could you please set her straight and help my precious grandchild? A.-This is a most delicate situation, for the medical evidence (or lack of it) sides with the position of your daughter. There is little to suggest there are any foods that must be avoided by a nursing mother, with the exception of too much caffeine or alcohol. Excessive alcohol might lead to low blood sugar, fatigue and lethergy in the infant, and caffeine provokes irritability. However, there is some anecdotal evidence, reported by nursing mothers, that changes in their baby's feeding pattern seeem to follow shifts in their own diets. If there seems to be a pattern change after eating a certain food, that food should be omitted from the diet, at least for several days, if not permanently. A mother's diet should include a variety of food, without overeating one specific food, to avoid provoking digestive problems in the nursing infant. A healthy diet in a healthy woman - with the least stressful situation possible - all lead to a happy, well-noursihed baby. Alertnes to the baby's action and a common-sense diet seem to be the answer to this problem. (Write to Dr. Bruckheim in care of Tribune Media Services, 435 N. Michigan Ave, Suite 1400, Chicago IL. 60611) Comments, please? I wrote a letter to the good doctor (not included here - this is already too long!) praising his willingness to discuss breastfeeding, mentioning foremilk overload as a missed solution to the problem, along with a discussion of the symptoms of a true dietary allergy. I ended by offering to obtain references for him, and suggesting that an informative column on breastfeeding, perhaps incorporating references to the Healthy People 2000 Initiative, would be a wonderful thing. Did anyone else see this, and would you like to join your voice to mine? Please let the "Family Doctor" hear from you! Donna L. Coe RN IBCLC Syracuse, NY