[Dysphagia] thickening breast milk

[Kate.Farabaugh at BannerHealth.com (Kate Farabaugh)]

Yes, we agree on this also, and adding rice cereal isn't going to reduce reflux, helping the babe to not be so full that the LES releases will help reduce reflux and meds will decrease his discomfort.... this case has brought up some excellent threads I think for us all to consider in both infants in and adults.
Reflux, pardon my french, sucks! it hurts, it has multiple causes and we jump too soon to what someone has passed down as a solution. Do we tell adults to thicken their liquids to prevent reflux? no...
I digress, sorry.
We often forget to tell mom's to look at what they eat prior to a babe having increased discomfort after breastfeeding or eating breastmilk... and yes, there is a relation, what mom eats is what baby eats. I can't come up with the article but a while ago someone studied garlic consumption and found that garlic appealed to breastfed babes, they ate more and faster after mom consumed garlic laden foods.... that may be the case for some babes but the next babe may reflux after a garlic laden meal. My point being, teach mom to keep a journal, teach her to read her baby and to find what works, what appeals to that infant, success will increase much better than if we just add "rice"!
Well, that should be worth about oh, a nickle??
Thanks Irene, keep us thinking!!

Kate Farabaugh, MA, CCC-SLP
Pediatric Rehab Manager
NCMC/Banner Health System
970.350.6155
FAX 970.378.3858

WARNING: This message, and any attachments, are intended only for the  use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged, confidential and exempt from disclosure under applicable law.  If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient or employee/agent responsible for delivering the message to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of the communication is strictly prohibited.  If you receive this communication in error, please notify us immediately. 
kate.farabaugh@bannerhealth.com

>>> Irene Campbell-Taylor <eripley@yahoo.com> 07/08/04 10:25AM >>>



Kate Farabaugh <Kate.Farabaugh@bannerhealth.com> wrote: 
I would like to go back Staci to a comment you made in the beginning of your post - aspirating breast fed babies...... how do you know a breastfed baby is aspirating? 
** Kate, 
This is the central issue not only with infants. See my response to Joan and the abstracts. It's aspiration of reflux that's the prime offender in infants, children and adults - mainly unwitnessed and not taken into consideration.
Back yet again to: Aspiration of what? How much" How often etc etc etc.
Irene

In 23 yrs of experience I have not been able to come up with a decent study of babe at breast, mom's get in the way physically, which leaves the clinician to the clinical exam.... a very good exam with use of cervial auscultation can show you best positioning etc but can not tell you whether the babe is aspirating or not... at least not to the point of stopping breastfeeding? 
How then are you determining this because we also all know that bottle feeding and breastfeeding are two completely different input mechanisms and can't be compared or equalized.
So let me know how you are determining this aspiration as I am very curious. thanks
Kate

Kate Farabaugh, MA, CCC-SLP
Pediatric Rehab Manager
NCMC/Banner Health System
970.350.6155
FAX 970.378.3858

WARNING: This message, and any attachments, are intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged, confidential and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient or employee/agent responsible for delivering the message to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of the communication is strictly prohibited. If you receive this communication in error, please notify us immediately. 
kate.farabaugh@bannerhealth.com

>>> "Staci Michael" 07/08/04 07:50AM >>>
Glad this was brought up and i hope we can get some feedback from everyone who has found this to be a complicated issue! We are currently visiting the whole issue of thickening here with our dieticians following a few controversial situations so this conversation is timely. Due to the enzymes in breast milk I have yet to find anything that will thicken breast milk for those aspirating-breast fed babes. I have heard simply thick will work, we have just received samples but have not put it to test yet, and I don't know about using with infants. 

Of further discussion I'd like feedback on is regarding thickening bottles for babes under a year of age. Seems many of us feel it is not good to use commercial thickeners under a year of age (by the way can we get some clarification on the reasons why?)- under 4 months that pretty much leaves rice or oatmeal cereal which come with its own set of complications (clogging, cut nipples, displaced calories) but we deal. My question is regarding the use of baby food as a thickener for the older infant. Any thoughts/opinions here? 

>>> 07/07/04 07:45PM >>>
There was a post today on the ASHA Division 13 listserv asking about how to thicken breast milk. Given the debates on this list about thickening liquids in other populations I was wondering what the consensus is about breast milk. So far no one has offered a solution that works and no one has questioned why it's needed in the first place.

I'm hoping this starts a lively conversation!

Linda A. Zanchi, MA CCC-SLP


_______________________________________________
Dysphagia mailing list
Dysphagia@b9.com 
http://lists.b9.com/mailman/listinfo/dysphagia 



_______________________________________________
Dysphagia mailing list
Dysphagia@b9.com
http://lists.b9.com/mailman/listinfo/dysphagia
_______________________________________________
Dysphagia mailing list
Dysphagia@b9.com
http://lists.b9.com/mailman/listinfo/dysphagia



Dr I Campbell-Taylor
Clinical Neuroscientist
Exclusive Distributor:
www.interactivetherapy.com