Hello,
I have been enjoying reading the posts on Lactnet the past few weeks. My
name is Suzanne Tyler. I have been an LLLL in North Carolina for almost 10
years and will be sitting for the LC exam in July. I have an 11 year old
son, Joshua and a 4 year old daughter, Mary Frances, who still loves her
"milkies."
I would like to present a situation, very hesitantly and with reservations
because I am afraid you will think I am crazy for even asking about it. I
do so at the urging and with the permission of the mother involved.
I have been corresponding over e-mail with a mother in Taipei, Taiwan. She
tells me that there is only a 3% breastfeeding rate there, she doesn't have
much support from her baby's doctor and there is no LLL group or LC in the
area. (Though I see on the statistics recently posted that there is one
person on Lactnet in Taiwan.) She also tells me that there is much
pollution in her area and an incinerator near by.
Her daughter is 7 months old and exhibits some odd symptoms which may be due
to allergies: frantic rubbing face/nose and flinching, turning head back and
forth, red eyes, nightsweats. She exhibits these symptoms when going in and
out of sleep and immediately upon being put into a position to breastfeed.
When breastfeeding she will often sweat profusely (mostly her scalp) and
have very clammy skin, then fall asleep while eating. The mother says the
baby was colicky from about 2 weeks to 3 or 4 weeks when we slowly
introduced Acidophilus bifidus (over 2 weeks' time) at the recommendation of
their naturopathic doctor. In further discussion the mother said they had
noticed a red diaper rash ring around the anus at times. The mother says
the baby is very healthy otherwise, adequately gaining weight and
progressing physically at a normal rate. Her personality is also seemingly
unaffected.
Here is the most odd thing. The baby does not have these symptoms when fed
expressed breast milk from a bottle by the father. (This is why I am worried
you will all think I am crazy for even asking. But I didn't want to just
dismiss this mother's main question.) The mother is wondering if the
factors in breastmilk that change when it is pumped and stored in the
freezer could result in the baby not reacting to the pumped milk in the same
way she reacts to breastfeeding.
Now, I have to add that I have brainstormed with the mother about what else
could be going on. Could the baby be reacting to something on the mother's
body? (detergent, soap, deoderant, lycra in the bra, etc) I have also
written to her about the most common allergies. She has eliminated cow's
milk products from her diet but is hesitant to eliminate soy. I have given
her lists of other possible allergens and explained elimination diets.
The mother is considering weaning or exclusively bottle feeding breast milk
as the baby is in such discomfort when nursing. Of course I urged her not
to wean. What would she feed her daughter then? Formula made with cow's
milk or soy? The two most common food allergens?
I feel that this may not be a breastfeeding question at all and that
something very different could be going on with this baby. I am certainly at
my limit of what I could do as an LLL Leader over e-mail. When I write this
mother again, I plan to suggest that she take the baby back to the doctor
and/or to an allergist.
Any other thoughts?
Be gentle with me,
Suzanne
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