Heartbroken mum had no idea her breastfed baby cried all day from dehydration – and then he died of a cardiac arrest
Little Landon Johnson died just days after birth despite being constantly breastfed
LITTLE Landon Johnson would have been five last week but he never made that birthday.
The newborn died just days after birth after suffering from a cardiac arrest caused by severe dehydration.
His heartbroken mum Jillian has revealed how she had no idea that her son was dehydrated despite crying all day because he was constantly being breastfed.
And now, five years on, she believes if she had fed Landon just one bottle, he might still have been alive today.
reports how US couple Jillian and her husband Jarrod did everything to prepare as first-time parents and even booked into a baby-friendly hospital, one geared towards breastfeeding unless a prescription is written by a paediatrician.
On February 24, 2012, Landon was born.
Jillian shared with the blog that Landon was breastfed exclusively, even though he would constantly cry unless he was on the breast.
She wrote: "Did you know newborns aren’t supposed to cry all the time? They’re supposed to eat and sleep and dirty their diapers. I had no idea that he was inconsolable because he was starving — literally."
The mum was concerned about the constant feeds and crying, but was told her son was latching well and was “cluster feeding” - where babies bunch feeds close together at certain times of the day.
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One lactation consultant did mention that Jillian might have trouble producing milk because she was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), but no one suggested supplement feeding.
She says she trusted the doctors and nurses to help her through the first few days with a newborn, especially because she was medicated after her emergency C-section and was a first-time mum.
Jillian added in her post: “But I was wrong. I’ve learned I have to be my child’s number one advocate."
Landon nursed over nine hours during his first 24 hours of life, but after being alive just 53 hours, he had lost 9.72 per cent of his birth weight.
Jillian and her baby boy were discharged less than three days after giving birth.
She returned home and Landon continued to frequently breastfeed.
But hours later Landon was found unresponsive after eventually falling asleep from cluster-feeding.
“We took him home ... not knowing that after less than 12 hours home with us, he would have gone into cardiac arrest caused by dehydration,” Jillian wrote.
“When a baby is only on the breast, how do we gauge how much they’re actually getting out? Sure, there should be wet and soiled diapers, and weight checks, right? And where is the limit as to weight loss and a minimum for the diapers changed?
Landon was rushed back to hospital, put on a ventilator and taken to the neonatal intensive care unit.
Later a brain MRI confirmed a brain injury from oxygen deprivation due to low blood pressure from dehydration and cardiac arrest.
Given his poor prognosis, he was tragically taken off life support 15 days later.
Jillian, who lives in California and is now a mum to daughters Stella and Aliona, is still plagued with guilt and anger over losing her baby boy. When her second child, Stella, was born she was much quieter than Landon and Jillian kept asking the nurses what was wrong with her. They replied nothing.
“It was then I realised that it wasn’t normal for a newborn to cry as much as Landon did.
"He was just crying out from his hunger, but I didn’t know, I should’ve known. I still struggle daily feeling as though I failed him.
"I realised in my grieving that there could be so many more parents that needed to hear it or talk about it but were never given the opportunity.
How much is enough milk?
Make sure your baby eats every one to three hours and sleeps for no more than three hours between daytime feeds
Your baby should have five to six wet disposable nappies or six to eight wet cloth nappies with urine that is a pale yellow
A young baby should have two to four loose, grainy, mustard-colour stools per day
You should be able to hear your baby swallowing when they’re feeding
Check whether your baby empties each breast after feeding, you should be able to feel the breast becoming lighter and softer after a feed
If your baby seems satisfied at the end of a feed, and generally content in between feeds, then you can feel happy that your baby is getting his or her fill.
"I had the opportunity to get the dialogue started and it needed to be done. I only wish I did it sooner. I'm so grateful knowing there's a foundation (Fed is Best) dedicated to educating parents on the importance of feeding your newborn - whether supplementing or breastfeeding. I'm pro-feeding. Plain and simple.
"We talk about Landon all the time. We have pictures of him up throughout the house. Our girls know who he is and we celebrate his birthday and acknowledge him on holidays."
Jillian says the best advice she was given was from one of Landon’s NICU doctors, while he was on life support, who said breast is best but follow with a bottle - "this way you now your baby has eaten enough".
Jillian is also keen to share the as well as their .