> ---------- > From: Johnson, Martha (PHMG) > Sent: Wednesday, November 11, 1998 5:14 PM > To: 'lactnet @ library.ummed.edu' > Subject: ANAPHYLAXIS THRU BREASTMILK > > Hello All: > I just did a routine postpartum home visit with a delightful woman who I > remember well because she needed so much assistance with her first > lactation, she and her baby had nearly every problem you can imagine. By > the time he was around 3 months old, my work partner and I strongly > suspected he had some major food allergies, but she had things pretty > well inhand by that time, so I never heard the rest of her case history > til today. > When her 1st son was around 5 months old, she was away from home at a > professional conference,and found herself ravenously hungry, wolfed down > an entire bowl of peanuts in the hotel cafe, and her baby soon after began > having grave difficulty breathing, was rushed to the hospital, given > epinephrine, and recovered. Because we had alerted her to the baby's > probable allergies, she had asked her ped if she ought to carry Benadryl, > and her allergist said afterwards that the dose she gave him en route to > the hospital probably saved his life! > Her local allergist said he didn't believe it was possible to become > anaphylactic per exposure to proteins in breastmilk, but since then has > done research and found a couple cases in the literature. > This was such an interesting case, but the amazing thing is, this lady > ate a severely restricted diet for 2 1/2 years so she could breastfeed her > boy. Pretty great, huh? > Love to All from Martha Johnson RN, IBCLC in drop dead gorgeous Eugene, > Oregon >