In a message you wrote:
<<Date:    Wed, 12 Feb 1997 22:44:54 EST
From:    "Ann M. Calandro" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Spitting up breastmilk
I need suggestions for a 4 day old baby , spit up a lot,....mom describes in
a projectile way.  He began showing signs of dehydration yesterday, >>

Ann,
Due to peds background, whenever I see a first born male baby with increasing
bouts of spitting up progressing to projectile vomiting to the point of not
gaining weight, I see pyloric stenosis written on the red flag ( does have a
familial streak). Otherwise, the suggestions you've gotten about deleting
dairy may work. I usually try one other stategy first tho before deleting
dairy, and that is decreasing foremilk and increasing hindmilk intake. I
believe you said in a later post that the mom did not seem to have an
over-production. Still, may want to try adjusting baby's intake by increasing
time on first breast with good massage to that breast towards end of feeding
to more fully empty ducts of hindmilk. I have resorted to pumping off
foremilk ac. Recently had a case like yours, ped doc said not pyloric
stenosis, (doc would have been looking for stomach distention with left to
right peristaltic waves and palpable olive-shaped mass in the right upper
quadrant), so we did as above with drastic improvement x10days. Projectile
vomiting renewed, mom went to another doc, radiology study was quick to show
pyloric stenosis. Not sure why there was that 10 day improvement, possibly
the thicker hindmilk stayed down better (as might the thicker consistency of
formula in your case).

Deborah Tobin
Springfield, VA