Continued weight loss in new born

[Harrysmum]

Dn(iece) was born 12 days early just after Christmas weighing 6lb 6oz (second baby, dn1 was 8lb and fulll-term). Since then she has lost weight almost every day (now 10 days old) other than the 2 days where she and d-sil were readmitted to hospital for monitoring. She is being breast-fed, waking to feed and appears to be latching on & sucking well. Whilst in hospital they carried out a whole range of tests and have excluded anything obviously wrong (malabsorption etc) but are concerned that at home she loses weight and that her poo is bright green (not new baby olivey green, it really is lime!). Any thoughts on what may be wrong (d-sil is v pro bf and fed dn1 until she was 13 months)?

Thanks for the link - I've sent it on to them so hopefully they will feel much more reassured. Do you know if those babies who take so much longer to regain birth weight are just slow to put on or do they continue to lose for such an extended period of time? Problem definitely isn't lack of milk as poor d-sil is overflowing with the stuff and some of the issue seems to be dn is overwhelmed as it comes through and can then be reluctant to go back on. She is tiny though - baby doll sized so not an overly large baby needing to downsize to a more expected centile.

Eaxactly the same happened to ds2. he had a cord infection - which wasn't picked up until he was 6 weeks old (by whicxh time he was like a skeleton had no fat on him at all- his bum was just skin and then the bone right underneath- horrible). Has the hospital swabbed to rule out infection? (Don't want to alarm- 1 course of antibiotocs and he was fine and started gaining wieght. Just wished they'd picked it up earlier as it played havoc with my milk production (keot being told to give supplementary bottles).

DS1 dropped around 2lbs over his first week and had the continued green poo which was entirely due to poor bf on my part. I'd say the mother should phone a breastfeeding counsellor. Even if you've bf once, it doesn't mean it's easy 2nd time round and her memory of bf will be of feeding a 13 month old which is very different to a newborn.

The NCT breastfeeding line is 0870 444 8708.

Thanks for the messages and I've passed them on. However, they were readmitted at the end of last week with continued weight loss. Her birth weight has been revised downwards (prob found with the scales) so the % drop is less than thought. More tests have been done and the hosp is satisfied that there is nothing medically wrong with her and it's purely a feeding issue. The hosp is also v pro b/f and they have been referred to their b/f counsellor which is great. At the moment she has a 40 min b/f every 3 hours (milk supply is good, latch is fine etc) AND will take 3-4oz of formula immediately following the b/f - how can d-sil improve her b/milk so that formula isn't needed? Is domperidone the answer? There certainy isn't a quantity problem...

If there isn't a quantity problem, why is she being topped up with formula? I would suggest feeding 2 hourly and reducing the amount of top-up milk that is offered. Good that she will see B/F counsellor. I helped a friend overcome this problem. Her baby did not feed very well from the breast so she hand expressed between feeds to boost supply and also woke baby during the night (baby fed better at night and had actually been sleeping all night from soon after birth).
She gradually reduced the top-ups and put the baby to the breast more often. She did not use Domperidone (mainly because I didn't know about it then - 7 years ago). Domperidone will do no harm.

I guess there is a quantity problem if she needs the top up - I was more thinking that it was a quality problem i.e. insufficient calories. D-sil is full, leaking etc at the start of each feed and having done 20-25 mins on each side her breasts are empty. 2 hourly feeds where the feed is taking c45 mins isn't hugely practical as dn1 is at home (18 months) but they may have to do that, I guess. Dn2 will go 3 hours between feeds without the top up but doing that has meant weight loss hence the additional calories from formula - is there a way of enhancing the quality (or is it really just quantity?).

Well the weight-loss saga continues but with an alll but definite diagnosis of cystic fibrosis (pending DNA tests following abnormal Guthrie tests). She is consuming her own body weight in milk every day and maintaining a weight less than her birth weight but not dropping any more now that she is feeding every three hours (with feeds taking up to 2 hours to complete). When they were here last week she took 10oz at her teatime feed! All quite overwhelming and taking it a test at a time, hoping for drug therapy soon so that she can start filling out and db & dsil can get some sleep...

Oh, Harrysmum, I'm so sorry that your DN may have cystic fibrosis. I am sure you are being a huge suppuprt of your sister in law - you certainly sound like a very kind and concerned aunt.

Harrysmum - there is a supplement to add to breastmilk to increase calorie content. The special care baby unit uses it for preterm babies who are poor weight gainers. It is mixed with EBM but I can't remember what it is called. Will have a search. Sorry to hear that CF might be the problem. Hope you SIL is getting lots of support.

Found this about breastfeeding and CF
here

Thank you for kind words. Mears - the link is great and will be really helpful to them esp as the hospital (Simpsons) is remaining v pro breast-feeding. All are completely exhausted esp db who is working and doing the night feeds and looking for a house for them (bought land, sold house, moved into caravan, sale fell through as landowner did a backroom deal - all v illegal and could sue but have neither time nor money). Any thoughts on how to help with a CF family appreciated...