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June 16, 2026Breastfeeding in Newborns with Down Syndrome
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pawin Puapornpong
Nowadays, women are marrying and having children later, with the age at marriage or childbearing increasing. When the mother is over 35 years old, the risk of having a child with Down syndrome increases with age. Although Down syndrome can be diagnosed in the fetus during pregnancy, some mothers may choose to care for the baby even though the baby has Down syndrome. Babies in this group have reduced muscle tone, and sucking to stimulate milk from the breast is not done well. Feeding from the breast may be tiring and the baby may not get enough milk. In addition, abnormalities of the heart or kidneys may also be found. Therefore, for breastfeeding babies with Down syndrome, if the baby does not have enough strength to suck from the breast in the early stages, a feeding aid device may be needed, such as a tube connected to a syringe filled with breast milk that is squeezed to help the milk flow while the baby suckles. Once the baby has been trained to become stronger and suckle better, the baby can then be allowed to suckle directly from the breast, whichthe mother needs to stimulate milk by hand expression or with a breast pump as well, since the baby is not strong enough to stimulate it well through suckling. Training the baby to suckle together with holding the baby skin-to-skin will help improve nervous system development and muscle control. As the muscles become stronger, the baby will be able to suckle from the breast. Just like the benefits of breast milk in normal babies, but the benefits of breast milk in babies with Down syndrome are even more evident. That is, in addition to helping with development and intelligence, breast milk also helps build immunity and reduces severe complications that may arise from infection in babies with Down syndrome.
References
- Cadwell K, Turner-Maffei C. Pocket guide for lactation management. 2nd ed. Burlington: Jones & Bartlett Learning 2014.
