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Subject: fussy baby or allergic baby? or something else?
Date: Sun, 27 Sep 1998 18:55:44 EDT
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I am looking for suggestions that might help a mother/baby dyad who have had
ongoing problems with fussiness and colic-like symptoms.

Background: baby is 3 months old.  He has more than doubled his birth weight,
but has always been fussy at the breast.  He has a history of nasal
congestion, being gassy, spitting up 'alot',  and in obvious discomfort after
feedings.  At several well-baby checks, ped has noted "milky fluid" behind the
eardrums, but said the ears were not infected.  His normal routine is trouble
settling down to nurse, pulls away with MER, gets mad, needs settling (motion
and white noise), eventually settles to nurse for a short time.  According to
mom, after feeding, cries for about 20 minutes in pain, body stiffens in
'obvious GI discomfort', spits up, is gassy.  Then he's ok until the next
feeding.  Mother describes him as 'delightful' between feedings, happy and
content, not a high-need child, meeting and exceeding his developmental
milestones, etc.

Over the past 12 weeks, I have suggested small, frequent feeds; feeding in
more upright position; more burping before, during after feed; refining
positioning and latch on; and keeping baby upright after feeding.  Mother
eliminated dairy from her diet 10 weeks ago.  She is also abstaining from
eggs, citrus, nuts, gassy vegetables, and spicy foods.  Baby improved but mom
is still unhappy with baby's behavior.

Mom has done web research and fears reflux, but it doesn't seem so to me.
Just today mom described baby's behavior that I could attribute to an itchy
palate.  Should wheat and corn be eliminated from mom's diet next?  Any other
ideas?  Thanks.