Potassium levels are normally very tightly regulated by the body because
levels that are too low or too high can have a very adverse, even fatal,
effect on heart function. A low potassium diet should be undertaken only
under the close supervision of a physician. It is highly unlikely that such
a diet would have any meaningful effect on human milk composition which is
fairly low in potassium to begin with. Kidney failure in a baby is nothing
to fool around with and the physicians will be closely monitoring the
baby's potassium levels, among other things. The mother probably needs to
dialogue with the physician about exactly what is going on with her baby,
what is the long-term plan for nourishing this baby, how do they think
mother's milk fits into that plan and why, how are they determining how
much potassium is in her milk, before and after chelation. In other words,
more information, more dialogue. This sounds like a serious situation.

If you google this, you will find a citation, however there is no abstract
available. Gunther, M., Hawkins, D. F. and Whyley, G. A. (1965), SOME
OBSERVATIONS ON THE SODIUM AND POTASSIUM CONTENT OF HUMAN MILK. BJOG: An
International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 72: 69–74.
doi: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1965.tb01375.x

Again, I would emphasize that potassium levels are very important to the
proper functioning of the heart. You do not want to suggest to women that
they try to regulate their own potassium levels.

Sharon Knorr, BS, IBCLC, RLC
Colorado, USA


On Wed, Apr 11, 2012 at 12:10 AM, Sarah Vaughan <[log in to unmask]
> wrote:

> On 11/04/2012 03:41, Michelle Scott wrote:
>
>> If a baby has kidney problems, and needs to be on a low potassium diet,
>> will mom's milk be lower in potassium (K) if she eats a low K diet?   Baby
>> has been getting breastmilk, with a chelater which takes out the K, but
>> now
>> mom wants to directly breastfeed.  Help!
>>
>>  Don't know for sure, but strongly suspect mom's body would simply adjust
> the breastmilk to contain the standard amount of potassium (by using
> potassium from mom's own stores).
>
> Is it possible for mom to try the low potassium diet while continuing to
> pump, and get the lab to test her pumped samples prior to chelation to see
> whether the potassium is within the acceptable range?
>
>
> Best wishes,
>
> Sarah
>
>
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