Newborn Baby Starves After Mom Failed To Realize Why He’s Crying All Day

It’s always tragic when he hear about babies passing away early on in their lives. Case in point, baby Landon Johnson was merely four days old after a heart attack due to severe dehydration. This was despite the fact that Jillian, the infant’s mother, constantly breastfed the baby and often sought expert advice about breastfeeding.

It is a heartbreaking experience that, five years later on, Jillian wrote about in the blog Fed Is Best in the hopes of warning other parents and helping them avoid the same tragedy.

Jillian shared:

“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.”

Three days after Jillian gave birth to Landon, they were discharged. They later had to come back less than a day.

With baby Landon’s constant crying, Jillian asked for advice and she was told that the baby was latching well and ‘cluster feeding’. One consultant pointed out that the mother may be having difficulties producing enough milk because she has polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). However, no one encouraged them to try supplemented feeding.

Jillian recalled:

“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.

“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?”

They rushed the infant to the hospital and MRI scan later showed a brain injury caused by cardiac arrest.

After 15 days, it was decided that his life support had to be turned off.

Jillian has two daughters now but she still feels guilty over the death of her son.

She, however, took it upon herself to share her story so others can learn from it.

She said:

“I realized 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.

“I had the opportunity to get the dialogue started and it needed to be done. I only wish I did it sooner.”

Jillian now encourages mothers to follow breastfeeding with a bottle just to make sure that the baby has consumed enough milk.

“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.”

According to the NHS website, these are the signs that your baby is getting enough milk:

• Your baby starts feeds with a few rapid sucks followed by long, rhythmic sucks and swallows with occasional pauses.
• You can hear and see your baby swallowing.
• Your baby’s cheeks stay rounded, not hollow, during sucking.
• They seem calm and relaxed during feeds.
• Your baby comes off the breast on their own at the end of feeds.
• Their mouth looks moist after feeds.
• Your baby appears content and satisfied after most feeds.
• Your breasts feel softer after feeds.
• Your nipple looks more or less the same after feeds – not flattened, pinched or white.
• You may feel sleepy and relaxed after feeds.