Last night I was faced with a very familiar situation, one which I deal with all week long in my work as a Breastfeeding Counsellor. A doctor had told my friend's son and daughter in law not to give her baby any breastmilk for 12 hours because she had a bug and had vomited.
When I face this situation in my work I have to tread very carefully because I'm required not to destroy a client's faith in her health care professionals. So I make sure I point out that GP's have to cover everything besides breastfeeding from arthritis to kidney stones, and they can't always keep bang up to date with everything. They receive very little training in breastfeeding and so they just aren't aware that it is different from formula milk. Recent research shows that formula milk irritates the gut because of the larger protein molecules in cow's milk. So it probably isn't a good idea to give it to a baby with a sick bug, but I'm not the expert in formula so you can do your own research to check that one out. Breastmilk on the other hand soothes the gut as it forms a protective lining. It is easily digested and will keep a baby hydrated. Anyway research on this grows every year, hence some older doctors not keeping up.
My friend disagreed with me. She said that breastmilk would feed the bacteria because it contains protein. Actually, breastmilk contains anti bacterial properties so would kill them. It has been shown that when breastmilk is stored it kills bugs as they try to grow in it. What is more, as the child's mother had been exposed to the child with her bug all day, by evening the breastmilk would contain specific antibodies to the germs making her ill.
My friend then said it would be better for the baby just to not have anything since she'd been sick. I had to concur that the milk would possibly bounce. Which leaves parents with the decision to make - feed a baby who is likely to be sick, therefore giving them antibodies, keeping them hydrated and, perhaps most importantly, keeping them happy and settled, and much more likely to let everyone get some sleep, but having to cover themselves and the baby in a towel and clean up sick every now and then - or minimise the chances of having to clean up but deal with a whingy baby who is miserable anyway because they are ill but to add insult to injury are being denied booby, deny them the antibodies that nature intended for them, and risk dehydration.
Their call. I know which I'd choose.
Oh, and hopefully if the mother decided to withold the milk she took steps to express in order to avoid mastitis caused by the engorgement from suddenly feeding a lot less.
References here here here here and here.
When I face this situation in my work I have to tread very carefully because I'm required not to destroy a client's faith in her health care professionals. So I make sure I point out that GP's have to cover everything besides breastfeeding from arthritis to kidney stones, and they can't always keep bang up to date with everything. They receive very little training in breastfeeding and so they just aren't aware that it is different from formula milk. Recent research shows that formula milk irritates the gut because of the larger protein molecules in cow's milk. So it probably isn't a good idea to give it to a baby with a sick bug, but I'm not the expert in formula so you can do your own research to check that one out. Breastmilk on the other hand soothes the gut as it forms a protective lining. It is easily digested and will keep a baby hydrated. Anyway research on this grows every year, hence some older doctors not keeping up.
My friend disagreed with me. She said that breastmilk would feed the bacteria because it contains protein. Actually, breastmilk contains anti bacterial properties so would kill them. It has been shown that when breastmilk is stored it kills bugs as they try to grow in it. What is more, as the child's mother had been exposed to the child with her bug all day, by evening the breastmilk would contain specific antibodies to the germs making her ill.
My friend then said it would be better for the baby just to not have anything since she'd been sick. I had to concur that the milk would possibly bounce. Which leaves parents with the decision to make - feed a baby who is likely to be sick, therefore giving them antibodies, keeping them hydrated and, perhaps most importantly, keeping them happy and settled, and much more likely to let everyone get some sleep, but having to cover themselves and the baby in a towel and clean up sick every now and then - or minimise the chances of having to clean up but deal with a whingy baby who is miserable anyway because they are ill but to add insult to injury are being denied booby, deny them the antibodies that nature intended for them, and risk dehydration.
Their call. I know which I'd choose.
Oh, and hopefully if the mother decided to withold the milk she took steps to express in order to avoid mastitis caused by the engorgement from suddenly feeding a lot less.
References here here here here and here.
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