I am looking for some info on the dietary requirements/restrictions with this condition.  A client whose daughter had cardiac surgery at 5 days of age has apparently developed this condition.  I understand the  basics of what a Chylothorax is -leaky lymph system- and saw a few of these in my other life(NICU 10 years).  As I was working with this mom some new questions developed that I haven't found the answers to. 
         Baby is now 10 days old and the drain has been removed.  She will go home as soon as she is eating well.  She nursed beautifully for her first 5 days, then had heart surgery.  At 9 days she was put on bottles of pregestimil which she wouldn't take, then she was switched to another "predigested " formula and is taking better volumes.  She is to have no breast milk at all for the 6-8 weeks it is expected to take this to heal.  Mom was informed that this was due to the fat content in human milk. 
         At first I took this at face value and gave mom as much advise and support for keeping up her milk supply and keeping baby friendly with as much of the breastfeeding process as possible.  Now I am wondering-Doesn't pregestimil have fat in the recommended ratio to protein and carbohydrate? If pregestimil is a fat free formula I am worried about all those children whose brains are trying to grow on it. Would any amount of human milk be poison for this baby or could a small amount be tolerated? This mom is not pushing, however she did nurse her other child over a year and she said it's been awful trying to push bottles while the baby nuzzles and tries to feed normally.   Thanks for any help or references.
tracy throckmorton rn ibclc 
portland oregon