Unbelievable story.  Hot, steamy WPB, FL could be the yeast capitol of
the US.  My clients all seem to be battling it.  Why then, would a local
pediatrician have so little knowledge of it?
        Case in question:  Sick baby, in NICU for 8 days, on
antibiotics.  Mom on antibiotics.  Even though mom didn't get to BF baby
until day 8, this is mom's 3rd BF baby, and they did ok.  For a week and
a half.
        Mom became itchy, noticed "white gunk" in baby's mouth.
Pediatrician dx thrush, gave oral pediatric med.  Mom asked ped. whether
she could get this, ped said no.  Mom's nipples now (at 6 weeks) are
blistered, cracked, sore, and she has burning pain on feeding baby.  Mom
called ped's office for refill of baby's med, spoke to nurse in office,
who spoke with ped.  Mom asked what she could do about apparant yeast on
nipples.  Word came back to rinse nipples with alcohol after every
nursing and apply antifungal cream.
        Mom called me (first call to me) to ask whether she should do
this.  I'm afraid I screamed NO! pretty loud.  I gave mom all of the
current yeast info I could find to take to the ped.  She took the baby in
this AM for an immunization.  While there she asked about using alcohol
in an open wound. Their reply was "how else would you sterilize it?"
        I'm hoping mom will change to another doctor, but meanwhile I'm
feeding her all of the information she can hold, and working with her ob
to treat mom's yeast.
        I can't think of a better way to stop someone from BF, than to
put alcohol on their cracked, sore nipples.


Margie Forrest, RN, BSN, IBCLC in WPB, FL, fighting the same battles over
and over and over...