Consequences of the Ignored Insufficient Milk Syndrome

Abstract

The Ignored Insufficient Milk Syndrome is the sum of mothers with low colostrum production and babies with birth weight loss, which is a sign of neonatal dehydration due to low intake (small volume) of colostrum in infants from mothers with Delayed Lactogenesis II. If neonatal dehydration is severe, and is not detected early, it can cause neurological damage to the newborn in the short, medium, and long term. Accepting weight loss as normal, means exposing them, unnecessarily, to a progressive risk of dehydration and brain damage of varying degrees, in the first 10 days of puerperium and exclusive breastfeeding. When the volume of colostrum ingested is insufficient, instead of conditioning growth and development, in terms of weight gain and adequate neurological functions, it conditions the opposite, weight loss and manifestations of neurological malfunction. In the other hand, it is been proven that all stressful factors in mothers, further inhibit and delay the onset of lactogenesis II. We do not doubt the unquestionable benefits of breastfeeding and that it is the best “Quality” food for neonates, but we insist that it is not enough in “Quantity” to satisfy neonatal nutritional needs during the first ten days of life. There is evidence that some of the “ten steps to successful breastfeeding”, like prohibiting supplementing babies with formula, and omitting step 6, while milk coming in occurs, do not provide the benefits highlighted and expected, they even have more risks than benefits for most infants and mothers.