Infantile Spasms with hypsarrthymia

[Banumathy Prasad]

Hi Souroush,
I stopped breast feeding when my daughter was 4 months.
Even when I was also, I did not take any medication.
Regards,
Banu
________________________________

[Shannon Nelson]

Hi Banu,
I don't know if it's relevant, but I gather that babies born
prematurely have a higher likelihood of neurological issues; also i
recall reading that one difference between human milk and cow's milk is
that human milk is higher in certain essential fatty acids which are
necessary to support brain and nervous system development (maybe DHA
and omega 3s?--and cow's milk, similarly, is higher in nutrients that
support the needs of the calf, e.g. higher in calcium). I suppose
there might be some connection, and I wonder if supplementing those
fatty acids might help her? Maybe adding them to her food (but I'm
suggesting this only as an avenue to explore; I don't know the details
about what might be needed). It's said that goat milk is closer to
human milk than cow's milk is, and also less apt to be an allergen (tho
some react to it also). And I'm told that coconut oil contains fatty
acids that can benefit the myelin sheath--but again, this is only a
thought, something to perhaps look into.

Homeopathic constitutional care would also seem very important, tho,
and should help her body to make more efficient use of what she eats.
Might be more important than changing her diet, *but* I would also
think that experimenting more with her diet could be important. Soy is
such a common allergen, and neither it nor rice would contain the fatty
acids needed for optimal nervous system growth. At one year, she still
needs high levels of those brain-supporting nutrients.

I did a brief google on "infant formula home-made" and found this link,
that you might find useful. (And google more--there's *lots* of good
stuff about home-made infant formulas, which would be very appropriate
for your daughter even at her "advanced age" of one! )

I'm posting her recipe, but you should *definitely* read the article as
well; it's very interesting!
http://reliableanswers.com/med/homemade ... ormula.asp

Infant Formula Recipe

* 2 Cups - Goats Milk
* 2 Cups - Enriched Vanilla Rice Dream
* 1 T. - Black Strap Molasses
* 1 T. - Liquid Acidophilus
* 1 T. - Flax Seed Oil
* 1 t. - Liquid Vitamin C
* 1 t. - Liquid CalMag (calcium & magnesium)
* 1/8 t. - Wheat Germ (powdered **)
* 16 drops - Trace Minerals (concentrated)
* 1 t. - Infant Vitamins (optional)

(Sidebar note: "In addition to high levels of aluminum in soy
estrogens in soy (a soy-fed baby receives the equivalent of five birth
control pills' worth of estrogen every day), recent research suggests
that high concentrations of manganese in soy can lead to brain damage
in infants.")
-----------------------

I don't want to copy too much here but here are a couple more
interesting recipes, from
http://www.westonaprice.org/children/recipes.html. (Again, check out
the rest of the website!)

Recipes for Homemade Baby Formula

Many of the ingredients for these recipes are available from
Radiant Life, 888-593-8333, www.radiantlifecatalog.com
MILK-BASED FORMULA

Makes 36 ounces

Our milk-based formula takes account of the fact that human milk is
richer in whey, lactose, vitamin C, niacin, and long-chain
polyunsaturated fatty acids compared to cow's milk but leaner in casein
(milk protein). The addition of gelatin to cow's milk formula will make
it more digestible for the infant. Use only truly expeller-expressed
oils in the formula recipes, otherwise they may lack vitamin E.

The ideal milk for baby, if he cannot be breastfed, is clean, whole raw
milk from old-fashioned cows, certified free of disease, that feed on
green pasture. For sources of good quality milk, see www.realmilk.com
or contact a local chapter of the Weston A. Price Foundation.

If the only choice available to you is commercial milk, choose whole
milk, preferably organic and unhomogenized, and culture it with a piima
or kefir culture to restore enzymes (available from G.E.M. Cultures
253-588-2922 or http://www.gemcultures.com).

2 cups whole milk, preferably unprocessed milk from pasture-fed cows
1/4 cup homemade liquid whey (See recipe for whey, below) Note: Do NOT
use whey from making cheese--it will cause the formula to curdle. Use
only homemade whey made from yoghurt, kefir or separated raw milk.
4 tablespoons lactose*
1/4 teaspoon bifidobacterium infantis**
2 or more tablespoons good quality cream (not ultrapasteurized), more
if you are using milk from Holstein cows
1 teaspoon regular dose cod liver oil or 1/2 teaspoon high-vitamin cod
liver oil*
1 teaspoon expeller-expressed sunflower oil*
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil*
2 teaspoons coconut oil*
2 teaspoons Frontier brand nutritional yeast flakes*
2 teaspoons gelatin*
1 7/8 cups filtered water
1/4 teaspoon acerola powder*

*Available from Radiant Life 888-593-8333, www.radiantlifecatalog.com
**Available from Natren 866-462-8736, www.natren.com, or Radiant Life
888-593-8333, www.radiantlifecatalog.com. Also, please note earlier
versions of this web page called for 1 tsp of bifidobacterium
infantis--this was a typo.

Add gelatin to water and heat gently until gelatin is dissolved. Place
all ingredients in a very clean glass or stainless steel container and
mix well. To serve, pour 6 to 8 ounces into a very clean glass bottle,
attach nipple and set in a pan of simmering water. Heat until warm but
not hot to the touch, shake bottle well and feed baby. (Never, never
heat formula in a microwave oven!) Note: If you are using the Lact-Aid,
mix all ingredients well in a blender.)

Variation: Goat Milk Formula

Although goat milk is rich in fat, it must be used with caution in
infant feeding as it lacks folic acid and is low in vitamin B12, both
of which are essential to the growth and development of the infant.
Inclusion of nutritional yeast to provide folic acid is essential. To
compensate for low levels of vitamin B12, if preparing the Milk-Based
Formula (above) with goat's milk, add 2 teaspoons organic raw chicken
liver, frozen for 14 days, finely grated to the batch of formula. Be
sure to begin egg-yolk feeding at four months.
----------------------------------

Hope some of this is of interest!

Shannon

[Shannon Nelson]

Can't resist, this little bit seems too interesting not to include
(from farther along on the Weston Price site):

EGG YOLK FOR BABY

Egg yolk should be baby's first solid food, starting at 4 months,
whether baby is breastfed or formula-fed. Egg yolks from pastured hens
will contain the special long-chain fatty acids so critical for the
optimal development of the brain and nervous system. The whites may
cause an allergic reaction and should not be given to baby until he is
at least one year old.

1 organic egg from a pasture-fed hen
1/2 teaspoon grated raw organic liver, frozen for 14 days Note: It is
VERY important that the liver be frozen for 14 days before using.

Boil egg for 3 1/2 minutes. Place in a bowl and peel off shell. Remove
egg white and discard. Yolk should be soft and warm, not hot, with its
enzyme content intact.

If you wish to add liver, grate on the small holes of a grater while
frozen. Allow to warm up and stir into egg yolk.
-------------------------------------

And from http://www.westonaprice.org/children/formula-faqs.html:

Iron Supplementation?

Q: Does there need to be iron supplementation with cow's milk formula?
My son's pediatrician freaked out when I told him I had my son on
homemade formula (I didn't tell him it was raw milk however to avoid
another discussion). He told me my son needed to be on iron supplements
because he wasn't on commercial iron fortified formula. There is no
mention of needed iron supplementation with the cow's milk formula only
the goat formula. Also reading I have read that iron from cow's milk is
not easily digestible for infants. I did notice there is 4% iron in the
nutritional yeast.

A: Mother's milk is low in iron for a reason--iron competes with zinc,
which is needed for neurological development. However, the lacto-ferrin
in raw milk helps the baby absorb all the iron that is there in the
milk. If you will look at the nutrient charts for our formula recipes
(see below) you will see that there is actually more iron in the
homemade formulas than there is in breastmilk, so there is no need
whatsoever to add additional sources of iron up to the age of six
months. At that time, the baby does need additional iron. This should
be given in the form of egg yolks and liver--liver is the first weaning
food in traditional cultures for this very reason--because at the age
of six months, the baby does need additional iron.