Hello everyone,

I have a personal situation involving my brother and his wonderful wife. I am
hoping so much that someone has had a similar situation and can offer help
and advice.

My brother's son was breastfeeding beautifully from the start, despite the
fact that he had a traumatic birth and was hospitalized for one week in the
beginning.  He weighed 6-3 at birth and was 10-8 at 2 months of age.  Then,
suddenly, at his 11th week of life, he began to have diarrhea.  It began
gradually, and got worse and worse. AFter 4 days, the diarrhea was bright
lime green and was everywhere. The baby developed a rash all over his body,
looked like sandpaper at first and then like the measles - red, raised,
pussy.  Also, a terrible rash in the folds of his skin.  They took him to the
Dr and he had lost weight, now weighing 10-1.

To make a long story short, the baby has been hospitalized with dehydration
and continued diahrrea for one week now. He has been transferred to John
Hopkins hospital in Maryland. He has been on IVs for 5 days (His bicarbonates
were down to 9). They did a sygmoidoscopy and endoscopy today, and results
will be in tomorrow.  They have taken the baby's mom off of all dairy
products, and now his rash is gone, but still a little bit of diahrrea.  He
isn't being allowed to nurse. The Drs have him on Progestimil, but of course
the baby hates it and won't drink it. It's funny - they told my brother that
the baby couldn't tell the difference between the formula and the breastmilk.
HA.

My sis in law is pumping like crazy to keep up her milk supply in case they
give her the go-ahead to nurse again. My brother says the Drs are doubtful
that the baby will ever be able to nurse again, because of his probable
severe allergy.

How long does it take for the milk protein to leave his system if it is a
milk allergy? Does anyone know what else this could be?  All blood tests,
including thyroid, are all normal.Chest XRay is also normal.

I appreciate your humble (and smart) opinions!

Thanks ever so much,
Brenda Phipps, BS, IBCLC

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