Question
A one-month-old baby has a bowel movement every two days, accompanied by severe vomiting, and has little sleep and cries a lot. The mother’s milk is insufficient. What should be done?
Answer
Hello: The baby may be experiencing digestive disorders. If the mother’s milk is insufficient, measures should be taken to increase the milk supply. Firstly, encourage the mother to maintain confidence in breastfeeding and keep an optimistic attitude; even if the milk supply is low, it’s important to stick to regular feeding schedules; arrange the daily routine properly, avoid overexertion, and ensure adequate sleep; the diet should be nutritious, with more chicken soup, fish soup, pork bone soup, crucian carp or pork trotter soup; take a variety of vitamins orally; at the same time, it can be combined with traditional Chinese medicine, Western medicine, or acupuncture treatment. (1) Common traditional Chinese medicine formulas include 9 grams of Wang Buliu (Chinese Angelica), 12 grams of Chuan Shan Jia (Boswellia carterii), 9 grams of Lou Lu (Chinese wild ginger), 9 grams of Mu Tong (Chinese stemona), 9 grams of Dang Gui (Angelica sinensis), 15 grams of Zhong Huang Qi (Chinese wolfberry), 20 grams of Dan Shen (Salvia miltiorrhiza), one dose per day, taken in decoction. Alternatively, the herbs can be cooked with pork trotters and consumed together. (2) Western medicine can include 0.03 grams of thyroid hormone, taken 2-3 times a day for 5 consecutive days. (3) Acupuncture points may include Waiguan (GB14), Shaizao (BL62), Zusanli (ST36), Hegu (LI4), and moxibustion can be applied at the Shanzhong (CV17) point.