Breast feeding and PANDAS

[colleenrn]

I breastfed all 4 of my kids, all 4 are PANDAS. First two for 18 months, 2nd two for 3 years. No formula.

[kimballot]

Breastfed - 14 months. No formula. Introduced cereal 4 months, strained foods months.

[T_Mom]

This is really interesting--

 

Does it seem to anyone else that there is a pattern here re: breastfeeding?!?

It appears the preponderance of those replying breastfed (many exclusively) for 12 months or more...

 

I breastfed both children for the first year exclusively...

First child breastfed until 2 years old, second child for 18 months.

 

I remembered this evening that I had a case of the shingles (on my eye lids) early on after delivery of my first child--

 

good heavens.

[norcalmom]

your right!! Breastfeeding must lead to pandas!! ha! At least I can lay my mommy guilt asside on this one. I'm the ONLY one that only did it for a couple months?

[peglem]

your right!! Breastfeeding must lead to pandas!! ha! At least I can lay my mommy guilt asside on this one. I'm the ONLY one that only did it for a couple months?

No, you're not the only one. I had to return to work 8 weeks after giving birth. Tried to pump enough milk to keep her during the day, but once she got that "easy" bottle suck, she would not suckle the breast anymore (except as a pacifier in the middle of the night). So, we switched to formula.

[Kay]

I was thinking along the lines of all of us who did breastfeed and have children who are Pandas what was happening with us at the time? Me I had stage 4 gum disease while pregnant (did not know) I was dx with it while she was still fairly young and I did not want to stop breastfeeding so I put off the surgery until she was one, because I still did not want to stop at this point and the dentist felt we should move ahead he gave me antibiotic that he said would not bother her so I could continue to breastfeed, breastfed through all four surgeries which were over a years time.

 

I have posted this elsewhere on the site but will try to make this a short version. When I was in my late teens early twenties I suffered from infections in a tooth that went on for some time, dentist didn't know what was happening, I had rounds and rounds of antibiotics to take infection down, eventually a root canal was done but not for over a years time. I also had step some place in there. When I was 23 or so I became agoraphobic, it was an overnight change for me. Of course at the time I thought I had just flipped and never associated it with any infections which I do now. Right before I became pregnant I went to the dentist (again!) because my teeth had begun to move he insisted I did not have gum disease, he worked on changing my bite etc, eventually changed dentist! But once I became pregnant and morning sickness set in I did not go back till after my daughter was born, so that infection was brewing the whole time. By the time I got pregnant I had gotten past my agoraphobia which was quite severe for about 8 years so I felt good while pregnant and had a slight relapse afterwards but was short-lived thanks to my ND.

 

I see a few of us had different things going on while breastfeeding, are these triggers for our kids?

[thereishope]

Kay, I had a bout with agoraphobia too! At age 18. And when I was just a week pregnant with my PANDAS son, I had an exposed nerve in my gum. No gum disease, but boy did it hurt!

 

EAMom, I know you said you needed a lactation consultant due to late onset lactation, but I needed a lactation consultant due to my son having difficulty latching on, which caused him to lose weight in the first couple weeks. After he got the hang of it, nursing was no longer an issue. Makes me want to follow up and ask how many PANDAS kids with eating issues related to PANDAS had nursing issues early on as a baby!

Edited August 2, 2010 by Vickie

[T_Mom]

your right!! Breastfeeding must lead to pandas!! ha! At least I can lay my mommy guilt asside on this one. I'm the ONLY one that only did it for a couple months?

 

 

Norcalmom-- It only looks like a very rough 4:1 or maybe 3:1 ratio involving those who were breastfed....this is interesting, but again, it only reflects those of us answering!--and obsessing over the forum. THAT may be what it really reflects.

(...though I do wonder about those teeth/shingles/etc... issues!) I love this group--

T.

[airial95]

I was thinking along the lines of all of us who did breastfeed and have children who are Pandas what was happening with us at the time?

 

 

I was breastfeeding my PANDAS son when I was diagnosed with Aakylosing Spondylitis (an autoimmune arthritic disorder). I delayed treatment until he was weaned, since I couldn't take any arthritis meds while breastfeeding...

[Stephanie2]

My 2 PANDAS boys were each BF for one year.

[rockytop]

2 daughters with PANDAS-- the first one affected was not breastfed, the second was exclusively for 7 months and much longer supplementing

 

the breastfeeding thing crossed my mind many times-- until my second daughter was afflicted with this mess !

[3boysmom]

Did not breast feed. Stayed 2 extra days and worked with the "breast nazi" (husband's nick name for her-lady that comes in your hospital room and helps with nursing your baby). Ds would not have anything to do with it and was allergic to regular formula....was on nutramagin (spelling?) We called it "liquid gold" (expensive!!)

[Megs_Mom]

I had a slightly different take on this - I really felt that breastfeeding (she weaned at age 2.5) was the reason that we did not have issues any earlier. I held on so long, as all the other kids in our extended family has such awful ear infections. After she weaned, she started getting sick & NOT CLEARING on the first round of antibiotics. She got PANDAS/PITAND for the first time almost exactly one year late. I had no illnesses to speak of during breastfeeding & Meg was a very healthy little kid.

 

On an amusing side note, our second therapist suggested that my daughter might have severe sudden onset OCD because I breastfed to long! Her theory was that Meg cannot "self-soothe". WTF? You should have seen my face! At this time, Meg was 7, and I said to her "she could self-soothe 2 weeks ago. what changed? it's not like I am breast feeding NOW!!!" You can probably guess that this therapist was not with us very long. She also told my daughter that "Anxiety is a gift from God". Yes, she said this to a child with scrupulosity issues already.... That was the last time I let Meg go into an appt by herself.

[DawnMCH]

Breastfed both of my PANDAS children well into toddlerhood.

[becjonz]

Breastfed both- one PANDAS ds and one not(?) PANDAS ds