Re: Spitting up or spilling over as a laundry problem:  Winnie speaks my mind.  I believe there is a current fad to misdiagnose, mistreat, and overmedicate this normal physiological situation, particularly in the breastfed infant. I think it is driven in part by parents (and, yes, some physicians) being unfamiliar with normal anatomy and physiology of the infant digestive tract and the process of breastfeeding, and pharmaceutical reps having a "benign cure" for the problem.  It's as much a mistake to misinterpret normal physiology as a medical emergency as to make the reverse error.  The consequences may not be as severe, but if we incorrectly assume this type error is safe to make, the consequences for decreased quality of life can be widespread, as more and more parents seek to "cure" their well infant through unnecessary use of drugs and artificial feeding.

I do not believe it is possible that the norm is now for most infants to have a serious medical disability.  It seems likely that the number of breastfed babies who are exhibiting normal spit up behaviors is about the same as it always has been, and the number who are experiencing severe medical problems related to normal feeding are probably about the same as they have been.  If there are, in fact, more babies experiencing spitting up than there were in the past, perhaps we should look at ways breastfeeding management and infant care are being changed by parents and society.

Arly Helm, MS, IBCLC

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