Breastfeeding Disabled or Handicapped Babies

The information on this collection of pages has been reprinted with permission from LLLI publications. Articles are listed with the most recently published or revised items first.

Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) files:	Is it possible to breastfeed my baby who was born with Down Syndrome? My new baby was born with a disability. Can I still breastfeed

Articles from NEW BEGINNINGS, the bimonthly publication for LLL members:	Nursing My Cleft-Affected Baby Cleft Lip and Palate Thank You, La Leche League (breastfeeding a baby with Down Syndrome) Pure Gold (breastfeeding a baby with cleft palate) Familiar Comfort (breastfeeding a baby with sagittal craniosynostosis) A Father's Loving Care (parenting a baby with Down Syndrome) Breastfeeding a Baby with PKU Nobody Smiles Like I Do (breastfeeding a baby with Down Syndrome and a heart condition)

Articles from LEAVEN, our publication for Leaders:	Autism and the Breastfeeding Family Pierre Robin Sequence Tactile Defensiveness and Other Sensory Modulation Difficulties Congenital Disorders: Implications for Breastfeeding

We provide articles from our publications from previous years for reference for our Leaders and members. Readers are cautioned to remember that research and medical information change over time.

You may order your own copies of helpful pamphlets and books, as well as subscriptions to NEW BEGINNINGS, through your local LLL Group or directly from the LLLI Online Store. Here are some of the items from the LLLI catalog that might be useful to parents of children with disabilities.

Breastfeeding a Baby with Down Syndrome: Newly revised pamphlet providing education and support for breastfeeding a baby with Down Syndrome.
Nursing a Baby With a Cleft Lip or Palate: This pamphlet provides information on the advantages of breastfeeding a baby with a cleft lip or palate as well as advice on breastfeeding after cleft repair surgery.
Babies and Children in the Hospital: This information pamphlet was written for parents who have a baby or child in the hospital. It offers advice on trusting your instincts, shopping for a doctor and hospital, preparing yourself and your child and when to be with your child. It tells of other parents' experiences and has a section on questions parents should ask doctors.
Give Us a Little Time: How Babies with a Cleft Lip or Cleft Palate Can Be Breastfed by Christa Herzog-Isler and Klaus Honigmann Informative full-color booklet from Medela on breastfeeding a baby with a cleft lip or palate. Discusses breastfeeding benefits, techniques, and special feeding aids, as well as forms, causes, and treatment of cleft lip and palate. Includes quotes from parents and many beautiful color photos of babies and parents. Written by a pediatric nurse and lactation consultant and a doctor specializing in jaw and facial surgery.

Do you have a breastfeeding story you would like to share with other parents? It is easy to contribute to NEW BEGINNINGS! Here are the instructions.

Last updated Thursday, September 14, 2006 by njb.

Page last edited Sun Oct 14 09:29:21 UTC 2007.