Babies with Down Syndrome may be very challenging to breastfeed. It takes a great deal of patience to teach the baby to suck properly (and strongly) to obtain a milk ejection reflex and to stimulate your milk supply. For these babies, it is recommended that you begin by hand-expressing your breast to start the milk flow and hold the breast firmly so that the nipple doesn't slip out of the baby's mouth when she stops sucking. It is also critical that you give good support to the head, jaw, and body of a baby with Down Syndrome, as they display general body hypotonia, or low-tone. If you prop the baby firmly with a pillow in your lap or use a sling baby carrier, you will have a hand available to hold the baby's jaw and your breast. It may take a few days to accustom yourself to the coordination techniques, but once you've got a position that you're both comfortable with, stick with it!
Many babies with Down Syndrome have no sucking difficulty at all and are successfully nursing within a week. Even if your baby is sucking poorly or requires tube-feeding at first (if they have other commonly-associated medical problems such as low birth weight, cardiac issues, or jaundice), don't worry! Initial sucking ability has not been shown to be a major reason for nonmaintenance of breastfeeding. In fact, most mothers who have discontinued breastfeeding have pointed out that insufficient milk is the major reason they stopped breastfeeding, which could have easily been prevented by pumping to maintain their milk supply.
It is very important that babies with Down Syndrome receive breast milk as they are very prone to respiratory and ear infections and the properties of this milk will protect their fragile immune systems. Breastfeeding has been shown to decrease the risk of ear infections specifically, which is an amazing benefit. Breastfeeding also helps as there is plenty of stimulation and affection through the body contact, which is necessary for babies with developmental disorders.
It is recommended that all parents of children with Down Syndrome see a lactation consultant as the frequency of feeding difficulty due to hypotonia and poor suck are so common. She will be able to help you immensely with everything from positioning and latching your baby to helping with milk supply issues.
Source:
Lawrence RA and Lawrence RM. Breastfeeding: A Guide for the Medical Profession. Fifth Edition. Mosby.
