Can a baby develop pancreatic insufficiency?

[lemonstolemonade]

The clinic said if they aren't "VERY FREQUENT" then we
don't need to stress about it until she has her next appointment at
the end of the month.<br>
<br>
What is "VERY FREQUENT"?<br>
<br>
She hasn't had a messy diaper today. I would call that
infrequent.<br>
<br>
So much of this is subjective. What's greasy and smelly to me might
not be clinical greasy and smelly. I need a poop lesson.<br>
<br>
A.

 

[lemonstolemonade]

The clinic said if they aren't "VERY FREQUENT" then we
don't need to stress about it until she has her next appointment at
the end of the month.<br>
<br>
What is "VERY FREQUENT"?<br>
<br>
She hasn't had a messy diaper today. I would call that
infrequent.<br>
<br>
So much of this is subjective. What's greasy and smelly to me might
not be clinical greasy and smelly. I need a poop lesson.<br>
<br>
A.

 

[tammykrumrey]

My older daughter was not dx until she was 14 months old. Before the dx, her poops were very bulky...completely filling the diaper and coming out the sides. I just thought that the diapers that I bought were not doing the trick. And they were so stinky, she could clear a room in 10 seconds! My poor husband would be gagging when trying to change her diaper. He has a weak stomach, and just couldn't do it. And they were frequent, like 10-12 a day! She would nurse non-stop the first two weeks, and then I stopped nursing. She was just wearing me out. And then when we went to bottle feeding, she was drinking almost 8 ounces at 2-3 weeks old. I thought that was normal?! And when she started eating baby food, I thought it was normal that she would eat 2-3 jars at a sitting, plus a bottle. Now I know why all my friends with babies the same age were just shocked to hear how much she ate and drank. She was my first, so I had nothing to compare her to. I hope you get answers soon to help ease your mind.

 

[tammykrumrey]

My older daughter was not dx until she was 14 months old. Before the dx, her poops were very bulky...completely filling the diaper and coming out the sides. I just thought that the diapers that I bought were not doing the trick. And they were so stinky, she could clear a room in 10 seconds! My poor husband would be gagging when trying to change her diaper. He has a weak stomach, and just couldn't do it. And they were frequent, like 10-12 a day! She would nurse non-stop the first two weeks, and then I stopped nursing. She was just wearing me out. And then when we went to bottle feeding, she was drinking almost 8 ounces at 2-3 weeks old. I thought that was normal?! And when she started eating baby food, I thought it was normal that she would eat 2-3 jars at a sitting, plus a bottle. Now I know why all my friends with babies the same age were just shocked to hear how much she ate and drank. She was my first, so I had nothing to compare her to. I hope you get answers soon to help ease your mind.

 

[tammykrumrey]

My older daughter was not dx until she was 14 months old. Before the dx, her poops were very bulky...completely filling the diaper and coming out the sides. I just thought that the diapers that I bought were not doing the trick. And they were so stinky, she could clear a room in 10 seconds! My poor husband would be gagging when trying to change her diaper. He has a weak stomach, and just couldn't do it. And they were frequent, like 10-12 a day! She would nurse non-stop the first two weeks, and then I stopped nursing. She was just wearing me out. And then when we went to bottle feeding, she was drinking almost 8 ounces at 2-3 weeks old. I thought that was normal?! And when she started eating baby food, I thought it was normal that she would eat 2-3 jars at a sitting, plus a bottle. Now I know why all my friends with babies the same age were just shocked to hear how much she ate and drank. She was my first, so I had nothing to compare her to. I hope you get answers soon to help ease your mind.

 

[debs2girls]

Lemonstolemonade, my daughter is doing the same thing and her doctor keeps saying she is pancreatic suffient too. She hasnt been tested in 11 months, how do they know she hasnt changed?
Her stools are just like what you described, she eats constantly and is in the 15th % for weight. Plus she is constantly complaining of her stomach within 30 minutes of eating.
I hope you get the right answers soon. I am with the anon. poster....what's the harm in giving her enzymes?

 

[debs2girls]

Lemonstolemonade, my daughter is doing the same thing and her doctor keeps saying she is pancreatic suffient too. She hasnt been tested in 11 months, how do they know she hasnt changed?
Her stools are just like what you described, she eats constantly and is in the 15th % for weight. Plus she is constantly complaining of her stomach within 30 minutes of eating.
I hope you get the right answers soon. I am with the anon. poster....what's the harm in giving her enzymes?

 

[debs2girls]

Lemonstolemonade, my daughter is doing the same thing and her doctor keeps saying she is pancreatic suffient too. She hasnt been tested in 11 months, how do they know she hasnt changed?
Her stools are just like what you described, she eats constantly and is in the 15th % for weight. Plus she is constantly complaining of her stomach within 30 minutes of eating.
I hope you get the right answers soon. I am with the anon. poster....what's the harm in giving her enzymes?

 

[JRPandTJP]

Breastfed babies do not gain less weight then formula fed babies--that is incorrect information. If a CF child is having stool issues due to pancreatic insuffiency, it won't matter the source of food or even how frequently they are eating. They aren't gaining as well because of malabsorption of fat and protein. Period.

However, the stool thing you gotta watch and if it continues I would ask for enzymes to try for a few weeks to see if her stools and weight change. Not all Pan Insuf. shows itself at first. In fact it can be harder to detect in breastfed babies because of the natural lipase (enzyme) found in it and the looser/watery consistency of breastfed poops. However, smelly, greasy, frothy, greenish, or bloody stools are signs of malabsorption in any baby, especially breastfed because they shouldn't smell at all (normal ones smell like yogurt with little smell). Some moms I've talked to (again breastfed CF babies) didn't get diagnosed until much later when malabsorption showed up as they got older or started eating solids.

There isn't necessarily anything wrong with the 10% either...it is the growth curve you want to look at. Is she gaining consistenty over time at a good rate (typically 4-6 ounces a week or 1- 1 1/2lbs a month for most babies)? This is what is hard to deal with sometimes with CF docs. Even on enzymes, some babies simply hang out between the lower percentiles (formula or breast milk) until later in life. It's not a failure and it doesn't always indicate a problem. Not gaining weight or loosing weight is all together different.

You can give her a probiotic (like Culterelle or Kid Dophilous) once a day to help with absorption. If she needs enzymes this will just help even more. You can mix a little of the powder (1/2 cap of Culterlled) in apple sauce and dip a clean finger in it, letting her suck it off until it is gone. This will be how you give the enzymes if you end up needing them until she can eat off a spoon. Perhaps watch the stools for another week and get a weight check. If she keeps having what you described get the enzymes and then start the probiotic. If it seems to have been a fluke, then add the probiotics just cause its a great thing to do.

Keep us posted and you can always email me or PM if you need to.

Warmly,
Jody

 

[JRPandTJP]

Breastfed babies do not gain less weight then formula fed babies--that is incorrect information. If a CF child is having stool issues due to pancreatic insuffiency, it won't matter the source of food or even how frequently they are eating. They aren't gaining as well because of malabsorption of fat and protein. Period.

However, the stool thing you gotta watch and if it continues I would ask for enzymes to try for a few weeks to see if her stools and weight change. Not all Pan Insuf. shows itself at first. In fact it can be harder to detect in breastfed babies because of the natural lipase (enzyme) found in it and the looser/watery consistency of breastfed poops. However, smelly, greasy, frothy, greenish, or bloody stools are signs of malabsorption in any baby, especially breastfed because they shouldn't smell at all (normal ones smell like yogurt with little smell). Some moms I've talked to (again breastfed CF babies) didn't get diagnosed until much later when malabsorption showed up as they got older or started eating solids.

There isn't necessarily anything wrong with the 10% either...it is the growth curve you want to look at. Is she gaining consistenty over time at a good rate (typically 4-6 ounces a week or 1- 1 1/2lbs a month for most babies)? This is what is hard to deal with sometimes with CF docs. Even on enzymes, some babies simply hang out between the lower percentiles (formula or breast milk) until later in life. It's not a failure and it doesn't always indicate a problem. Not gaining weight or loosing weight is all together different.

You can give her a probiotic (like Culterelle or Kid Dophilous) once a day to help with absorption. If she needs enzymes this will just help even more. You can mix a little of the powder (1/2 cap of Culterlled) in apple sauce and dip a clean finger in it, letting her suck it off until it is gone. This will be how you give the enzymes if you end up needing them until she can eat off a spoon. Perhaps watch the stools for another week and get a weight check. If she keeps having what you described get the enzymes and then start the probiotic. If it seems to have been a fluke, then add the probiotics just cause its a great thing to do.

Keep us posted and you can always email me or PM if you need to.

Warmly,
Jody

 

[JRPandTJP]

Breastfed babies do not gain less weight then formula fed babies--that is incorrect information. If a CF child is having stool issues due to pancreatic insuffiency, it won't matter the source of food or even how frequently they are eating. They aren't gaining as well because of malabsorption of fat and protein. Period.

However, the stool thing you gotta watch and if it continues I would ask for enzymes to try for a few weeks to see if her stools and weight change. Not all Pan Insuf. shows itself at first. In fact it can be harder to detect in breastfed babies because of the natural lipase (enzyme) found in it and the looser/watery consistency of breastfed poops. However, smelly, greasy, frothy, greenish, or bloody stools are signs of malabsorption in any baby, especially breastfed because they shouldn't smell at all (normal ones smell like yogurt with little smell). Some moms I've talked to (again breastfed CF babies) didn't get diagnosed until much later when malabsorption showed up as they got older or started eating solids.

There isn't necessarily anything wrong with the 10% either...it is the growth curve you want to look at. Is she gaining consistenty over time at a good rate (typically 4-6 ounces a week or 1- 1 1/2lbs a month for most babies)? This is what is hard to deal with sometimes with CF docs. Even on enzymes, some babies simply hang out between the lower percentiles (formula or breast milk) until later in life. It's not a failure and it doesn't always indicate a problem. Not gaining weight or loosing weight is all together different.

You can give her a probiotic (like Culterelle or Kid Dophilous) once a day to help with absorption. If she needs enzymes this will just help even more. You can mix a little of the powder (1/2 cap of Culterlled) in apple sauce and dip a clean finger in it, letting her suck it off until it is gone. This will be how you give the enzymes if you end up needing them until she can eat off a spoon. Perhaps watch the stools for another week and get a weight check. If she keeps having what you described get the enzymes and then start the probiotic. If it seems to have been a fluke, then add the probiotics just cause its a great thing to do.

Keep us posted and you can always email me or PM if you need to.

Warmly,
Jody

 

[ktsmom]

I'm with Jody - the percentile thing is a TREND and should be
evaluated as such.  If she started out at 10% then staying at
10% is probably okay.<br>
<br>
Otherwise I would demand that they evaluate her pancreatic
sufficiency (you too, Debbie).  Granted I am bringing my own
baggage to this - which is that in retrospect my daughter was
showing signs of pancreatic insufficiency from day one and was
only diagnosed with cf a month ago (she is 3 years old now).
 Green stools as a breast fed infant; going from 95
percentile to 25 percentile, in toddler years grease spots on
diaper, etc.<br>
<br>
I think I read somewhere that even functioning at 2% the pancreas
can do some of its job; so it is a slow process, I guess, this
thing with becoming pancreatic insufficient.  but why not
treat with enzymes and see if there is some improvement?<br>
<br>
Dana<br>
Mom to Katy, 3 cf; and Kyra, 6; no cf

 

[ktsmom]

I'm with Jody - the percentile thing is a TREND and should be
evaluated as such.  If she started out at 10% then staying at
10% is probably okay.<br>
<br>
Otherwise I would demand that they evaluate her pancreatic
sufficiency (you too, Debbie).  Granted I am bringing my own
baggage to this - which is that in retrospect my daughter was
showing signs of pancreatic insufficiency from day one and was
only diagnosed with cf a month ago (she is 3 years old now).
 Green stools as a breast fed infant; going from 95
percentile to 25 percentile, in toddler years grease spots on
diaper, etc.<br>
<br>
I think I read somewhere that even functioning at 2% the pancreas
can do some of its job; so it is a slow process, I guess, this
thing with becoming pancreatic insufficient.  but why not
treat with enzymes and see if there is some improvement?<br>
<br>
Dana<br>
Mom to Katy, 3 cf; and Kyra, 6; no cf

 

[ktsmom]

I'm with Jody - the percentile thing is a TREND and should be
evaluated as such.  If she started out at 10% then staying at
10% is probably okay.<br>
<br>
Otherwise I would demand that they evaluate her pancreatic
sufficiency (you too, Debbie).  Granted I am bringing my own
baggage to this - which is that in retrospect my daughter was
showing signs of pancreatic insufficiency from day one and was
only diagnosed with cf a month ago (she is 3 years old now).
 Green stools as a breast fed infant; going from 95
percentile to 25 percentile, in toddler years grease spots on
diaper, etc.<br>
<br>
I think I read somewhere that even functioning at 2% the pancreas
can do some of its job; so it is a slow process, I guess, this
thing with becoming pancreatic insufficient.  but why not
treat with enzymes and see if there is some improvement?<br>
<br>
Dana<br>
Mom to Katy, 3 cf; and Kyra, 6; no cf

 

[Ratatosk]

Something to keep an eye on and voice your concerns about at the next appointment.

A friend of mine's granddaughter was diagnosed at 1 1/2 years old because she had sinus and constipation issues. She's a teeny tiny little thing, but they didn't think any of it because her mother and aunties were teeny tiny as children. The doctor did a sweat test to "rule out" CF and it was determine she did have it. I believe she takes miralax for the constipation issues and is also on enzymes.

 

[Ratatosk]

Something to keep an eye on and voice your concerns about at the next appointment.

A friend of mine's granddaughter was diagnosed at 1 1/2 years old because she had sinus and constipation issues. She's a teeny tiny little thing, but they didn't think any of it because her mother and aunties were teeny tiny as children. The doctor did a sweat test to "rule out" CF and it was determine she did have it. I believe she takes miralax for the constipation issues and is also on enzymes.

 

[Ratatosk]

Something to keep an eye on and voice your concerns about at the next appointment.

A friend of mine's granddaughter was diagnosed at 1 1/2 years old because she had sinus and constipation issues. She's a teeny tiny little thing, but they didn't think any of it because her mother and aunties were teeny tiny as children. The doctor did a sweat test to "rule out" CF and it was determine she did have it. I believe she takes miralax for the constipation issues and is also on enzymes.