Pamela,

Hi! This is my first time writing to Lactnet, so I'll do my introduction
part first. I've been on for about 5 days now (just in time for all of the
CH stuff). I think that the best response in TV land would be for ER to have
a really cool episode about bf and smash CH in the ratings. It could happen.

Anyway, I'm a pediatrician at the College of Osteopathic Medicine at
Michigan State University with (obviously) a strong interest in bf. I am
currently in the midst of a small-scale research project on bf duration. I
have a 2 1/2 y/o daughter who is happily still bf, often while I'm at the
computer.

Regarding this baby, I just wanted to say that I agree with the others that
tracheomalacia/laryngotracheomalacia sounds very likely. Other unusual kinds
of airway obstruction could also be occurring (such as a soft tissue mass
somewhere in the airway-- I have seen this in a baby who was admitted for a
pH probe and ended up obstructing during the insertion of the probe.) At any
rate, I also agree that scoping the baby to determine the cause for the
symptoms is important. Another thought for the time being is, with LTM
positioning often affects the degree of respiratory symptoms. With this
condition, the stridor is often worse when the baby is supine as opposed to
sitting up. Maybe the mom could try feeding the baby in more of an upright
position (for the baby). Might be worth a try. Good luck. I hope it turns
out alright.

I was wondering if Wellstart has a website? I tried searching today with no
results. :(  I'd appreciate it if anyone could help me out. Thanks!

Mari Douma, D.O., FACOP, FAAP
Lansing, Michigan, USA