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shereejoy
23-10-2006, 22:06
My baby Lachlan is 5mths old. He has reflux and is on the medication of Losec. He is also just recently been put on medication for his throwing up. At 9 weeks he refused my breast and would kick/scream/turn his head/would not close his mouth and push himself off me. I was forced to give up at 13 weeks after 2hourly expressing for 4 weeks as he would not go back on. He use to feed 2 hourly on the boob and then formula he was a changed boy would feed every 3-4 hours and seemed more content. We started him on Karicare Sensicare HA AR formula and he had a reaction (just cried all day long, nothing would settle him). They diagnosed a Cows Milk protein intolerance, but more so from his consitency of his poos when I was bf. So he was then put on Neocate. He was ok on this at first and then started to become very fussy. In one day he drank 250ml, and I was totally stressed. I went to the chemist as we were away on holidays and we then put him on S26 HA. He again seemed ok on this and then within too long he was back to his usual ways. He was born on the 25th percentile and slowly made his way to well under the 5th percentile and that is when the paed put us into hospital to do some testing. Everything came back that there was nothing medically wrong with him, but one test showed how bad his reflux is. We saw a speech pathologist in hospital and she suggested we go from slow to medium teats which did seem to help his anger with the bottle. I continued with slow teats so he would get it slower and hopefully keep more down but no this child had developed the fastest fastest suck and was taking in alot of air and thinking he was full after only drinking 10-20ml. We thought this was the answer but no our feeding issues still continue. We also saw a dietician and we have increased his formula to 1 1/4 strength and we are also giving him polyjoule in his bottles. Last week he gained 300g which was a record and brought him back up to the 5th percentile. He has always gained but not enough to keep up. I don't believe he gained from drinking more as he only drinks on AVERAGE 650-700mls per day and alot of that is forced. I give him dreamfeeds just to get it up for the day. He is not as angry like I said but he can have 3 x 60ml bottles in a row and sometimes with fuss. I always make up 120ml bottles and we feed him 6 x times a day and he very rarely ever finishes a 120ml bottle. He is an extremely active baby and my partner and I just think he needs to relax to feed at times. Once he has made up his mind he doesn't want anymore there is no forcing it any further he has learnt to play with the teat with his tongue and again turns his head and spits out the milk. I am convinced that he is only a little boy with little food needs but he is very active and it is hard to believe what he is drinking is enough especially seeing as he is a very good spewer (rarely projectile). It is the hardest job in the world to feed a baby who won't feed, I just get so stressed at times and I am so lucky to have a very supportive and helpful partner. We have also started him on solids to help with weight gain, and he did like them initially, esp apple, but now he clamps his mouth shut and turns his head and again refuses. I just don't know what my child is going to throw at me next, any advice would be greatly appreciated. I seriously need help as it just seems so long between paed appts.

the pero clinic
24-10-2006, 21:01
Dear Sheereejoy,

What a difficult time you’ve had with your bub! Feeding a difficult feeder is an extremely stressful and tiring job but it sounds like you have been doing a terrific job in trying to get to the bottom of it all. It is very good to hear that you have seen a dietitian for formula modifications and experienced a recent gain in weight.

Your bub sounds quite aversive to feeding. Feeding aversion can develop as a result of a number of factors, such as reflux, and persist simply due to the prior negative feeding experiences. Have you discussed your son’s reflux medication with anyone recently to see if a change in medication type or dosage is required?

I would also consider it vital to investigate other causes for his feeding refusal. I know that your son has had the medical ‘all-clear’ but he may have even some subtle difficulties with his breathing and swallowing coordination that could make feeding an exhausting, frantic or frightening experience for him. This may be why he isn’t looking or feeling relaxed! You may also still not have the optimal teat for him – but as I’ve written before, I cannot recommend teat types for babies over the internet or phone without assessing their feeding.

Phone the hospital to see if a speech pathologist will see your son again, to assess his current feeding skills, as an outpatient. It is important that you get updated feeding advice now that he is older. Unfortunately, the services for issues such as paediatric feeding aren’t as readily available in rural areas - so if your concerns continue, you may need to discuss alternative options with your paediatrician.

the pero clinic