Large infant weight loss - scared if it increases risk of brain damage?

[dkinlondon]

My now three week old DS was off to a rough start at the hospital after he was born. The doctors had some concerns because he was vomiting green fluids so he was taken through lots of tests and was separated from me (the mother) for more than 24h on day two because he had to be transferred to another hospital.

Long story short, he was luckily healthy and the doctors discharged us on day four with no concerns. On day five a midwife found he had a 15% weight loss since birth, which alarmed them. We explained our story and they said it could be because mom and baby had been separated + the fact he had been on IV during that time. They came back the next day to weigh him again and this time he had an alarming 18% weight loss. We were asked to go to the hospital and immediately agreed to top up with formula to make him gain weight and get hydrated. Now two weeks later we are still breastfeeding with formula top ups since, as it turns out, I'm simply not producing enough breast milk, which I had no idea about prior.

What I'm now concerned about is that I've read that weight loss shortly after birth can result in brain damage in infants. Given that he lost so much weight I now feel extremely guilty and would just like to hear from others parents who experienced similar large weight loss in their babies, whether this has affected them and if it's cause for concern?

My son had a 12% weightloss (jaundice and a severe tongue tie meaning he struggled to feed). He's 8.5 months now and developing entirely normally. Weight gain picked up hugely once his tongue tie was divided.

Can I ask why you think you're not producing enough milk? Have you seen a breast feeding consultant? Has baby been checked for tongue tie by a specialist (most midwives and GP's are not properly trained to assess tongue tie so you need a lactation specialist)?

Thanks for sharing your experience @Sunshinegirl82. I'm glad to hear your son is doing fine.

I saw two breastfeeding counsellors and a lactation specialist to get support with breastfeeding. DS did have a tongue tie, which was fixed on day 10. She also gave me supplements (Domperidone, fenugreek) and I was pumping with a hospital grade pump after each feed to increase milk supply. Unfortunately, I still produce very little milk (DS drinks a lot of formula after feeding on the breast) and I think it's ultimately because I had a breast reduction surgery ten years ago making it impossible for me to produce enough.

I've made my peace with it now, although I'm still slightly sad it didn't work out. What I'm most concerned about though is whether the initial weight loss he experienced could have harmed him. On the positive side, the doctors at the hospital didn't show any concern or mention it, but then I don't know if they would worry be unnecessarily

My DS had 15% weight loss and was admitted at 5 days old. He's now 4 and I've never noticed any difference between him and his peers, he's actually rather clever

Thanks for sharing @Saturdaynamechange

Ds3 was admitted to HDBU with collapsed lungs when he was born and was only able to have IV fluids for the first few days. He lost a lot of weight although I don’t know how much as he was then tube fed and only weighed on discharge when he was 8.5oz down on his birth weight. He had definitely started gaining again by then.

He is now at secondary school and top of his year. He plays two musical instruments to a high standard and doesn’t appear to have suffered any ill effects. I know that worrying is part of our job as a mother but if I were you I wouldn’t give this one any more thought!

Thanks @VividImagination. It's lovely to hear all these positive stories. You're right, I am probably overly worried but that's where it's really helpful to get reminded from others that there is most likely nothing to worry about .

Lovely to hear your DS3 is doing so well!