Part 1 - Human breast milk in the management of protracted diarrhoea of infancy

Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the role of human breast milk in the management of protracted diarrhea of infancy. A syndrome of intractable diarrhea of infancy was defined in 1968, characterized by a high mortality rate in infants less than 3 months, who had no evidence of enteric infection and whose diarrhea had lasted for more than 2 weeks. It is found that although high in lactose, breast milk has characteristics which may be beneficial to these infants. This view resulted from the experience with one such infant. The infant developed diarrhea at 3 weeks of age while on a cow's-milk-based formula feed. At 9 weeks his weight was 6lb 1½ oz. At 21 weeks a trial of human milk was started with resulting rapid weight gain and control of diarrhea. Eleven out of 13 children with the protracted diarrhea of infancy syndrome have been successfully treated with human milk. Six infants had pathogenic bacteria or viruses in their stools, one patient had a transient IgA deficiency, and four had serological evidence of cow's milk protein sensitivity. In spite of clearly documented carbohydrate intolerance prior to the introduction of human milk, the high lactose content of human milk was well tolerated.