Breastfeeding a Baby With a Health Problem

Some health problems in babies can make it harder for them to breastfeed. But breastmilk provides the healthy start your baby needs, even more so if your baby is premature or sick.

Even if your baby cannot breastfeed directly from you, you can express or pump your milk and give it to your baby with a dropper, spoon or cup.

Some common health problems in babies are listed below.

• Jaundice
• Reflux disease
• Premature and/or low birth weight
• Colic

Jaundice is caused by an excess of bilirubin. Bilirubin is found in the blood but usually only in very small amounts. In the newborn period, bilirubin can build up faster than it can be removed from the intestinal tract.

Jaundice can appear as a yellowing of the skin and eyes. The jaundice usually clears up by two weeks of age and usually is not harmful.

Some breastfed babies develop jaundice when they do not get enough breastmilk, either because of breastfeeding challenges or because the mother’s milk hasn’t come in. This type of jaundice typically clears up quickly with more frequent breastfeeding or feeding of expressed breastmilk or after the mother’s milk comes in.

Your baby’s doctor may monitor his or her bilirubin level with blood tests. Some babies with jaundice may need treatment with a special light (called phototherapy). This light helps break down bilirubin into a form that can be removed from the body easily.

Keep in mind that breastfeeding is best for your baby. Even if your baby gets jaundice, this is not something that you caused. Your doctor can help you make sure that your baby is eating well and that the jaundice goes away.

Some babies have a condition called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). GERD happens when the muscle at the opening of the stomach opens at the wrong times.

This allows milk and food to come back up into the esophagus, the tube in the throat.
Some symptoms of GERD include:

• Severe spitting up or spitting up after every feeding or hours after eating
• Projectile vomiting, where the milk shoots out of the mouth
• Inconsolable crying as if in discomfort
• Arching of the back as if in severe pain
• Refusal to eat or pulling away from the breast during feeding
• Waking up often at night
• Slow weight gain
• Gagging or choking or having problems swallowing

Many healthy babies might have some of these symptoms and not have GERD. Also, some babies with only a few of these symptoms have a severe case of GERD.

Not all babies with GERD spit up or vomit. More severe cases of GERD may need to be treated with medicine if the baby refuses to nurse, gains weight poorly or is losing weight, or has periods of gagging or choking.

See your baby's doctor if your baby spits up after every feeding and has any of the other symptoms listed in this section. If your baby has GERD, it is important to continue breastfeeding. Infant formula is harder to digest.

Premature birth is when a baby is born before 37 weeks. Prematurity often will mean that the baby is born at a low birth weight, defined as less than 5½ pounds.

When a baby is born early or is small at birth, the mother and baby will face added challenges with breastfeeding and may need to adjust, especially if the baby has to stay in the hospital for extra care.

But keep in mind that breastmilk has been shown to help premature babies grow and stay healthy. FULL STORY