Baby won't attempt to latch on

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Specializes in Rural Health.

I've been working with a newborn tonight trying to get him to latch on and breastfeed. He roots around, opens his mouth wide and then doesn't even attempt to latch on when he gets to the breast. He moves his tongue ALL over the place. There is a possibility of Down's Syndrome. Just wondered if anyone has any suggestions for getting him to latch on.

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Specializes in A little of this & a little of that.

Expressing a bit of the milk/colostrum first helps.

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Specializes in Rural Health.

I've seen that that may help, but she is less than 24hrs PP so I'm not sure that she'll be able to get much.

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Specializes in A little of this & a little of that.

She can aslo wet the nipple with a little of the sugar water. The main thing is that baby is getting a taste of something so that he has incentive to latch on.

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Specializes in Rural Health.

The glucose water seemed to help! Yeah, now if he'd stay awake and suck more than twice we may get somewhere!

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

If he's less than 24hrs old, he may still be a bit sleepy. Betcha with some time he will come around.

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SKIN TO SKIN! Can't say enough about it. Even if he doesn't latch it helps with milk production, temperature regulation, and blood sugar as well. If the baby is still having issues the mom needs to pump to help her milk supply and the baby should be fed the colostrum whatever she gets with a dental syringe. Continue to work with latching and supplement AT the breast if needed. Down's babies have a hard time as you know from their tongues, but can and will be successful breastfeeders...patients and love! Good luck, I hope you get this before the pt goes home.

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Specializes in Rural Health.

Yep, got your message, I've been doing skin to skin with her and she plans to pump when she gets home. The Day shift nurse had given a bottle to see how he would do with it b/c of the tongue. (I know, Big no no) Pt. won't be going home until probly Wed.

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Specializes in NICU, Post-partum.

I'm surprised that they haven't been able to make a positive Dx regarding the Downs. How do the baby's palms look? Not sure if it's true or not, but I've heard for years that evidence of a single crease is as accurate as any test, obviously barring a defect with the hands itself. Supposedly only occurs with Downs and no other birth defect.

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

Simian crease isn't a definitive diagnosis. I work with a nurse who's got a simian crease in her R hand. As part of an overall cluster of characteristics, then perhaps yes but in itself doesn't mean anything.

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Specializes in Rural Health.

I forgot to look at the baby's palms. Unfortunately the girls regular Dr. was on vacation and I think the Dr. that was covering was just waiting for her to be back in a couple days to deal with it. I do believe the babe was transferred today though as we are a very small rural hospital and he probably needed to be somewhere that they could do more for him.

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