In a message dated 6/22/99 4:32:02 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

<< Collodion baby is the neonatal expression of different disorders of
 keratinization. Perhaps the best know is  lamellar ichthyosis. >>

One of the most interesting cases that I have worked with is a baby who had a
form of this. The parents were told only 6 babies in America has the same
condition and is genetic. The baby was not allowed to nurse at first because
the hospital was afraid that touching the baby would worsen the condition.
When Mom was allowed to pick up the baby and attempt to nurse on day 4, this
baby had the worst case of nipple confusion, and adversion to touch  I have
ever seen!  Mom worked with him, pumped and finally got him to accept some
finger feedings, then some use of the SNS but only if she could nurse with
him while he was  asleep and lying down with mom lying along him but not
touching-preferably on the floor. If he woke up and discovered he had the
breast and SNS in his mouth, he would go ballistic. And this was a very rare
occurrance-he was fed with a bottle about 95% of the time. She was totally
exhausted one afternoon with he was 4 months old, and fell asleep together on
the bed after she had cried herself to sleep.In her sleep she became aware of
something strange feeling on her chest and woke up to find the baby had
wiggled under her shirt ( she was braless) and attached himself and was
nursing like a champ. She called me and I rushed over to find him still
nursing after 1 hour!  He never went back to bottles, SNS or anything.  She
claimed it was a miracle. I tend to agree! He nursed for 15 months. He is now
4 yrs old, and has some scaling but not as bad as the first year. His parents
recently gave birth to a daughter who was born without the condition and
never left Mom's side at the hospital, has never had a bottle and is nursing
like a champ at about a year of age.
We have no idea what possessed him to nurse after 4 months of battling and
then continue for a year but he is now in excellent health.  She is so glad
she didn't give up on the pumping and trying during those 4 months !

Barb Whitehead, IBCLC
Ayden NC

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