Breastfeeding Curriculum: Patient Care Module Question Title * 1. On the day after delivery, a breastfeeding mother reports that she is having difficulty getting her infant to breastfeed. Your best response to this situation would be to: Explain that most babies have a difficult time starting out and to just keep trying Advise that the baby may be getting dehydrated, so he is not interested in feeding Encourage supplementation with infant formula until the baby learns to breastfeed Discharge the infant, so the mother will be more relaxed breastfeeding at home Request assistance for the mother at the infant’s next feeding to evaluate the breastfeeding technique Question Title * 2. A 4 day old comes to your office for his newborn follow-up visit. He was the first child born to a 28 year old G1 mother at 38 weeks gestational age by spontaneous vaginal delivery weighing 3400 grams. He was able to go skin-to-skin after delivery and latch within the first hour. The mother noted some pain with latching in the hospital and was discharged home with continued and exclusive direct breastfeeding. At your office, the mother reports that the newborn is crying frequently despite being fed every 2-3 hours on both breasts. He is having 4 wet diapers and 1 black, tarry stool per day. Mother complains that her nipples are very tender and sometimes bleed. Her breasts are starting to feel fuller and more painful. The baby now weighs 2950 grams. Give the baby a bottle of formula because he is obviously hungry and has lost too much weight. Babies often cry in the early days, so tell the parents he just needs to be cuddled and held close to a parent’s heartbeat. Tell the family that the weight loss in the newborn period is expected and to follow up at 1 month. Examine the mother’s breasts, and assess the baby’s suckle while breastfeeding, helping the mother to attain a deep and asymmetric latch. Question Title * 3. A one-week old term infant presents to the primary care clinic for a weight check. The mother is a first-time exclusively breastfeeding mother, and wants to know whether her baby is getting enough milk. Which of the following would be most reassuring regarding adequate intake in a breastfeeding infant during the first week of life? Once-daily soft stools More than 13% weight loss by day 8 Less than 7% weight loss by day 7 Once-daily copious urine Question Title * 4. A term infant is born to a mother who has been stable in a methadone treatment program for the past 5 years. Her routine serologies, including HIV, Hep B, and Hep C, were negative at the beginning of her pregnancy. She wants to know whether she can breastfeed her baby while continuing to take daily doses of methadone. No, this mother is at risk of contracting blood-borne illnesses and should not breastfeed due to the risk of transmitting them to her baby. No, methadone can be transmitted to the baby via the breastmilk and risks causing respiratory depression in the baby. Depends, if the mother is taking <20 mg/day of methadone then it is safe to breastfeed her baby. Yes, this mother can safely breastfeed her infant. Question Title * 5. You are using the AAP Breastfeeding Action plan to help a new mother assess how breastfeeding is going. Which of the following is a reassuring sign regarding adequate breastfeeding? The infant feeds at least 8-12 times in a 24-hour period. The infant starts to feed and then falls asleep quickly at the breast The infant sleeps at least four hours between most feedings. The breasts feel full all the time Question Title * 6. An exclusively breastfed 5-month-old infant of a first-time mother presents to the primary care provider with increased frequency of loose stools, about 6 times per day, and more spitting up than usual. The mother reported a “stomach bug” in the family that lasted about 24 hours one week prior to evaluation. The mother notes that the infant is feeding well. In the office, the exam shows an infant who is well-appearing, smiling, and interactive. The mouth is moist and skin turgor is good. The abdominal exam is benign. The infant was noted to go from the 50th percentile in weight to the 25th percentile. The infant’s stools were guaiac negative in the office. What would be the most appropriate recommendation at this time? Recommend temporary cessation of breastfeeding and feeding extensively hydrolyzed formula. Referral to a pediatric gastroenterologist to consider milk protein allergy. Advise the mother to eliminate all cow’s milk protein from her diet. Observe over the next two weeks and recheck the weight and feeding history at that time. Done