Gotta love the 'Net. I turned to <www.medterms.com> to find out what vitiglio is ... it so happens that the "feature story" includes a description of this very condition. I have reproduced it below (somewhat shortened) because I found it so informative: "Vitiligo: Pronounced vit-uh-LIE- go. A condition in which the skin turns white due to the loss of melanocytes. These cells produce melanin, the pigment that gives the skin its characteristic color. (Melanocytes also impart color to the retina of the eye and the mucous membrane tissues lining the inside of the mouth, nose, genital and rectal areas). In vitiligo, the melanocytes are mysteriously destroyed, leaving depigmented patches of skin on different parts of the body. The hair that grows in areas affected by vitiligo may also turn white. "Vitiligo is a common disorder. It occurs in 1-2% of people and affects both sexes and all races equally. Vitiligo is never present at birth. It crops up between the ages of 10 and 30 in about half of cases and before age 40 in 95% of cases. More than 30% of people with vitiligo have a family history of the disorder, pointing to the presence of genetic factors capable of contributing to the condition. "As the skin gradually loses it's color, patch by patch, other people may treat someone with vitiligo like a leper, thinking they have a contagious skin disease .... "In people with vitiligo, the melanocytes self-destruct, probably because of an autoimmune reaction in which the body mistakenly attacks its own cells. The resulting white patches of skin may enlarge and increase in number for a while, and then the condition may stabilize, only to start up again later. "Injury, illness, a bad sunburn and severe stress have been known to provoke the onset or progression of vitiligo. Vitiligo is sometimes associated with more serious disorders that also have an autoimmune cause, including: hyperthyroidism (overactivity of the thyroid gland), adrenocortical insufficiency (the adrenal gland does not produce enough cortisol), alopecia areata (patches of baldness), and pernicious anemia (a low level of red blood cells caused by the failure of the body to absorb vitamin B12). Vitiligo is also a feature of a number of genetic diseases." Now -- as for the 29-week-pregnant mom with vitiglio and hypthyroidism: I assume she is already under treatment for her hypothyroidism and vitiglio. Ruth Lawrence's 5th edition (at p. 521) states: "If hypothyroidism is diagnosed, it should be treated with full replacement therapy .... The medication should be continued after delivery. The mother should be permitted to breastfeed without question. Data from Bode et al. indicate there is measurable thyroid hormone in the milk of normal women. Breastfeeding is not contraindicated." Riordan and Auerbach's 1st ed'n (at p. 355) suggests that "women whose replacement therapy was determined before pregnancy should be reevaluated after the baby's birth to determine if adjustment is necessary." I conclude that Mom's breastmilk will NOT "cause" her baby to have either vitiglio or hypothyroidism. If the baby is genetically pre-disposed to either condition, it's a "done deal." I would encourage her to breastfed that baby, but to keep in close contact with her own doctors to ensure that her treatment plan is on target. Moms with *un*treated hypothyroidism may have a low milk supply ... common sense suggests that Mom pay close attention to her supply/baby's weight gain to ensure that her treatment plan is working well. Liz Brooks, JD, IBCLC Wyndmoor, PA, USA _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp *********************************************** The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html