Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
How To Successfully Nurse A Distracted Baby?
Question: Hello, this is regarding our son who is having a lot of difficulties feeding where it takes a lot of distracting and 40-60 minutes to finish 4 ounces....he gets about 25 ounces a day only.
We was born IGUR end of May (2 weeks early, induced because he gained very little weight between 30-38 weeks) and currently today weighs only 12.5 pounds, with a head circumference of 16 inches and length of 25 inches. Doctors think he has acid reflux so takes zantac once a day and omeprazole twice a day...he also may have a milk protein allergy (not confirmed) so giving him nutramagen 20 cal...again, he only gets about 23-25 ounces a day.
He seems to be very hyper and need a lot of attention/distracting while feeding and we think half the time the milk just spills into his mouth vs. him actually sucking the nipple...we have tried different combinations of formula and bottles with no success....and his arms and legs seem quite stiff through the day.....when we hold him up he never seems to focus on our faces/eyes or when we call to him, but he does many times when lying flat. He also HATES to be in someone's arms or lap flat, only in a semi-upright sitting position.
Our local pediatric GI is telling us he needs a feeding tube, what do you think? any idea what could be wrong with him?
Please discuss with other doctors if needed.
Thanks.
We was born IGUR end of May (2 weeks early, induced because he gained very little weight between 30-38 weeks) and currently today weighs only 12.5 pounds, with a head circumference of 16 inches and length of 25 inches. Doctors think he has acid reflux so takes zantac once a day and omeprazole twice a day...he also may have a milk protein allergy (not confirmed) so giving him nutramagen 20 cal...again, he only gets about 23-25 ounces a day.
He seems to be very hyper and need a lot of attention/distracting while feeding and we think half the time the milk just spills into his mouth vs. him actually sucking the nipple...we have tried different combinations of formula and bottles with no success....and his arms and legs seem quite stiff through the day.....when we hold him up he never seems to focus on our faces/eyes or when we call to him, but he does many times when lying flat. He also HATES to be in someone's arms or lap flat, only in a semi-upright sitting position.
Our local pediatric GI is telling us he needs a feeding tube, what do you think? any idea what could be wrong with him?
Please discuss with other doctors if needed.
Thanks.
Brief Answer:
Further information needed.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for asking on HealthcareMagic.
I have gone carefully through your queries and understand your concerns. I would first need to know the age of your child. I also need to know if the child cried well after the birth or whether he had a NICU stay.
I would insist you to upload medical notes and reports if present. Based on them I would definitely guide you further.
Regards
Further information needed.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for asking on HealthcareMagic.
I have gone carefully through your queries and understand your concerns. I would first need to know the age of your child. I also need to know if the child cried well after the birth or whether he had a NICU stay.
I would insist you to upload medical notes and reports if present. Based on them I would definitely guide you further.
Regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Hi, we was born May 29, 2016 so he is 4.5 months old. He did seem to cry well after birth and did stay in the NICU for 1-2 days, I think because of higher than normal levels of jaundice and high sugar (I think) but it seems to clear out after 1-2 days but not 100% sure if they fully confirmed it through blood tests or not.
Also, he never really latched onto my wife's breast for breastfeeding so we give him breastmilk through the bottle too (included int he 25 ounces I mentioned before)....sometimes he plays with his tongue with the bottle nipple and swirls it around, or sometimes just keeps the nipple in his mouth until the milk drips out, like he doesn't know what he's doing.....one thing to note is that he takes the feeds quite well in his sleep.
Also, he never really latched onto my wife's breast for breastfeeding so we give him breastmilk through the bottle too (included int he 25 ounces I mentioned before)....sometimes he plays with his tongue with the bottle nipple and swirls it around, or sometimes just keeps the nipple in his mouth until the milk drips out, like he doesn't know what he's doing.....one thing to note is that he takes the feeds quite well in his sleep.
Brief Answer:
Neurodevelopmental follow up is very important.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for clarifying. The NICU stay could be related to the present situation and calls for proper neurodevelopmental follow up. Rather than high blood sugar, it was probably due to low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) which can indeed have a damaging effect on the brain. The resultant damage to the brain probably interfered with the the neurodevelopment and could possibly be related to the lack of the capacity to latch on properly for breast feeding. It is very important to use the right technique. It remains to be evaluated whether the rolling of the tongue is actually a seizure activity. Your doctor could help in this regard.
I think that the proposal of a feeding tube is perhaps justified.
Regards
Neurodevelopmental follow up is very important.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for clarifying. The NICU stay could be related to the present situation and calls for proper neurodevelopmental follow up. Rather than high blood sugar, it was probably due to low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) which can indeed have a damaging effect on the brain. The resultant damage to the brain probably interfered with the the neurodevelopment and could possibly be related to the lack of the capacity to latch on properly for breast feeding. It is very important to use the right technique. It remains to be evaluated whether the rolling of the tongue is actually a seizure activity. Your doctor could help in this regard.
I think that the proposal of a feeding tube is perhaps justified.
Regards
Note: For further queries related to your child health, Talk to a Pediatrician. Click here to Book a Consultation.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
