> Has anyone had experience with a baby born with
> gastroschisis eventually, after surgery, etc.,
> being breastfed?

Yes, I did several times while working (in the 80s) at Childrens
Hospital Los Angeles. And why not, once repaired surgically and ready
for GI feeds anyway? There is growth factor present in the breastmilk
that will enhance the healing and growth of the surgical site(s). Most
of the surgery will relate to closing the musculature and skin of the
abdominal wall anyway, and depending on the anomaly, may not even
require invading the GI tract (although peristalsis stops when the bowel
is touched, so there will not be any feeds for as long as there is not
peristalsis).

I do have the experience of a baby diagnosed at 32 weeks prenatally with
ruptured ileus - taken to emer C-Section and directly into surgery, but
the rupture was old and calcification had set in and they were unable to
save *any* small bowel. Baby was 6 weeks in NICU until they could
re-anastomose her stomach and large bowel. In the meantime, I helped the
mom obtain an electric double pump, as the baby was fed for "emotional
and social" reasons. Mind you, the outflow of the stomach was a stoma at
the time, so no-one deluded themselves on baby receiving nutritional
benefit from the EBM. (Baby was on fulltime TPN). When they reconnected
her at 6 weeks, voila!, 6 centimeters of small bowel had *regenerated*
!! "from the growth factors present in the breast milk, of course"
replied the peds gastroenterologist. By the time she was discharged a
few weeks later, she only required 10 hours of IV TPN (easily done at
night). How's that for cost-effectiveness of a breast pump rental (not
to mention significantly improving quality of life and other things).

I would encourage this mom to "go all the way!" And bless her and her
new baby!!

Katharine West, BSN, MPH
Sheramn Oaks,CA