All what Rachel said, plus, imagine the psychological benefits of
breastfeeding for this child, and mother. 

When my girlfriend lost her son to a horrible cancer, she had the wonderful
memories of comforting her son at the breast. Nursing through painful
procedures, bad news, good news. She was pressured to wean when he was 4,
and sadly, he went downhill quickly from there. He was gone before he turned
6. 

Best wishes, and hope for this mom and her son,
Sam Doak


<<Gonneke asks for help finding references showing the benefit of continuing
to be breastfed during treatment for leukemia.  Since she already can find
references to show that breastmilk gives vital immune defense support to the
child, a reasonable doctor would not even care whether the breastmilk also
has a separate effect on the leukemia.  Most doctors would be jumping for
joy that the child has a ready supply of this fabulous substance, not
wrinkling their noses and saying it is an infection risk!
The pediatrician will not be treating the child alone. There will be
oncologists, specialist ones for pediatric patients, involved, and an army
of nurses.  There must be someone among all these team members who
understand the value of breastfeeding for the child.  We know that
breastmilk is soothing to irritated mucous membranes, is easily digestible,
and promotes a normal gut flora while protecting against dehydration and
invasion by pathogens across the gut epithelium.  Anyone undergoing the kind
of chemo used in treatment of leukemia or other malignancy of the
blood-forming organs or lymph system will need all the help they can get to
take in nourishment.
It is tragic that even one pediatrician could be so misguided as to have
mistaken the mother's own milk for artificial baby milk, which well might
have all the risks he fears the child would be exposed to through
breastfeeding.  I hope he can be enlightened, and I hope the mother has the
sense to ignore this part of his advice, however well-meaning she feels it
to be. 
Rachel Myr
Kristiansand, Norway>>

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