While this young mother thought of breastfeeding her baby, her son had actually been dehydrated for three days.
Five years after the drama, Jillian Johnson had the courage to speak of the death of his first child, in a text entitled: "If I had given him a bottle, he would still be there". Her son Landon died of dehydration while he was continuously breastfeeding. An ordeal that the young mother could not talk about before, for fear of being judged. "Landon would be five years old today if he was still alive. It's a very hard birthday – five. It's a milestone birthday. Most children would start kindergarten at this age. But not my little guy. I have wanted to share for a long time what happened to Landon, but I have always been afraid of what others would say and how I would be judged. But I want people to know how much the pain is increasing. "
Jillian tells the Fed is Best Foundation blog how her son died of dehydration just days after he was born because she didn't know he was hungry. By testifying, she hopes to help other families "So that they do not experience what they have experienced".
In 2012, the couple from Canada, expecting their first child, they had everything planned for the arrival of the baby in their cocoon. “Jarrod and I wanted the best for Landon like all parents do for their child. We were ready! At least that's what we thought… all of the courses and books focused on breastfeeding and the importance of breastfeeding if you want a healthy child. ”, she wrote on the Fed is Best website.
Consistent nursing and inconsolable crying are two of the signs of starvation in the newborn
After an emergency cesarean delivery, Jillian makes the decision to exclusively breastfeed her baby. “Landon was on the breast all the time. The lactation consultants came and saw that "he had a good catch and everything was fine", but they mentioned that I may be having trouble producing milk. The reason they gave me was that I had polycystic ovary syndrome "says Jillian.
Landon cried continuously, even when he was breastfeeding "cluster", that is to say that he suckled many times but for short periods. After two days, the baby had lost 10% of its birth weight. Which is completely normal in the days following the birth of a child. The young mother feared that Landon was not getting enough milk, but she remained confident thanks to the health professionals around her who watched the baby.
Today, Jillian realizes that it was not normal. "Constant nursing care and inconsolable crying are two of the signs of starvation in the newborn which lead to complications threatening the brain. If a child receives a fraction of his caloric needs through exclusive early breastfeeding, he may experience severe hunger and thirst, which is why he will cry inconsolably and breastfeed continuously when it is the only source of calories and liquid offered to him. If a mother's colostrum does not meet the calorie needs of the child, she will breastfeed for hours a day to try to relieve her hunger. A child who "breastfeeds" may actually burn more calories than breastfeeding in return, which can lead to fasting conditions and accelerated weight loss. "
An extremely rare case
Unfortunately, less than 12 hours after the parents brought the newborn home, Landon fell into cardiac arrest due to dehydration. After several days of struggle under respiratory assistance, he will eventually die. “I remember when Stella, my daughter was born, and she was always silent. I kept asking the nurses what was wrong with her. They said nothing. It does what it is supposed to do. Sleeping. While eating. And it was then that I realized that it was not normal for a newborn to cry as much as Landon. He just cried from his hunger. But I didn’t know. I should have known. I still find it hard to feel like I failed "she wrote.
Rachel Prete, pediatrician at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando, told Parents magazine that this is a "extremely rare case". Most of the time, the caregiver guides new mothers to breastfeed properly, especially when there is a low production of milk. In fact, babies can develop properly even with a small amount of colostrum (a thick, concentrated liquid that is often golden in color and usually arrives at the end of pregnancy), so it is normal for breast milk to take time to arrive .
Signs can alert parents to the possible dehydration of their baby:
- Mom can't express colostrum or breast milk
- Baby shows signs of hunger and is never satisfied, like inconsolable crying
- The above signs exist in combination without dirty / wet diapers and weight loss
Finally, it is important to be followed the day after leaving the maternity ward by your pediatrician, who can assess your baby's condition. If you have trouble breastfeeding, ask your doctor for a supplement with a formula. Above all, don't be afraid to ask for help. Breastfeeding or bottle-feeding is a mother's choice and will depend on what she thinks is best for her baby.