# Excess lipase causing digestive problems?



## Island Mommy (Mar 26, 2003)

OK, this is probably a "far-out" question, but here goes.

My milk has excess lipase. Even after only 24 hours in the fridge it tastes and smells terrible. Makes me gag. Same with milk stored in the freezer.

My dd has been for 3 stool sample tests, all of which have come back positive for reducing substances. My doctor tells me this usually indicates a malabsorption of nutrients. However, my dd appears healthy and weighs a respectable 19 lbs at 8 months. She did have bad colic until she was 4 months old and I'm sure it was due to her digestive system.

So, has anyone ever heard of excess lipase causing digestive problems for an infant?


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## cj'smommy (Aug 14, 2003)

I had that problem too, and it 's so frustrating. Lately I've noticed that it's better, esp. the frozen milk. I've recently switched bags so I wonder if that's the reason. I haven't kept any in the fridge lately, so I'm going to to see if it is better or if it's the bags.

Cononr has major digestive problems too, I wonder if they are connected? He's had them for 9 months so far. The next time we're at the GI doc I'll ask.


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## Quirky (Jun 18, 2002)

That's a really good question. Call me a doubting Thomas, but I highly doubt that a ped or a GI specialist will know the answer to this question....heck, even most IBCLCs and LLL leaders don't seem to know about excess lipase, and it's mentioned in only one out of about eight books I have on breastfeeding!

As I understand it, the excess lipase causes problems with breastmilk when it's pumped because it works to digest the fats, so they start breaking down. It's cold-activated, so the freezer and fridge make it worse. The baby needs the lipase in breastmilk because its pancreas doesn't start making adult levels of its own lipase for months after birth. More lipase would just mean the fat is broken down in the digestive tract more quickly and thoroughly. So I'm just guessing that excess lipase is not a cause of digestive unhappiness when the milk comes straight from the breast.

Not to get on too much of a soapbox, but if you talk to a doctor who suggests weaning because your milk is "obviously" bad for your baby because of excess lipase/fill in the blank reason, head for the hills!


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## Island Mommy (Mar 26, 2003)

Thanks, Jane. People have been advising me to stop BFing since dd started having what we think might be digestive problems early on. We're at 8 months now and still going strong. DD has never been sick and I attribute that directly to the BFing.

I'll be interested to hear what the ped suggests, but I'd have to have pretty solid evidence before I'd stop BFing dd.


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## zombiemommie (Dec 6, 2001)

Island Mommy, just curious - what kind of digestive problems/symptoms does your baby have ? I personally have the excess lipase issue (or at least the funky milk issue and the scalding technique fixed that so I am assuming it was lipase) and had 2 very pukey babies (until about 4 months) but also had huge OAL and oversupply too. Anyway, I love to learn new things about BF and try to help new moms when I can and this is a new thing for me that there might be a remote connection, or not. Thanks in advance !


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## Mona (May 22, 2003)

: How do you know if your bm has an excess of lipase?
I have also noticed that my bm tastes "gamey" if it has been frozen. Don't know if this has anything to do with lipase content...

Lisa


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## gauge14iv (Mar 24, 2002)

If you are having this trouble, simply scald the milk very quickly after it is pumped - prior to placing in the freezer or fridge. This should take care of the problem for pumped milk. If your baby is having a lot of trouble, you may need to pump first, nurse second and then feed the pumped milk, or pump first and use an SNS for nursing to provide previously scalded milk.

Worth a shot anyway


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## Island Mommy (Mar 26, 2003)

Mona, from what I've read on these boards, bm smelling bad after being in the fridge or freezer is caused by excess lipase. If yours smells "gamey" after being in the freezer you could have excess lipase. Mine was horrible after being in the freezer. I mixed some with rice cereal and both my mom and I thought the rice cereal had gone rancid! We threw the whole box out. Then I realized that it was the milk that smelt and tasted bad, not the rice cereal.

Zombiemommie, I never had oversupply or OAL issues. Barely ever leaked and never had one breast leak while dd was nursing on the other. Her digestive problems/symptoms were/are:
- very colicky until 4 months. Always straightening legs and arching back while screaming blue murder. This happened at all times of the day and night, not just in the evening.
- would pass alot of gas in the early a.m. This kept her from sleeping past about 5 in the morning.
- would often cry and fuss while nursing. Rarely ever fell asleep while nursing.
- some spitting up, although not as bad as some babes I've seen. Spitting up virtually stopped at around 7 months.
- little squirts of poo in every diaper until 4 months.
- very unsettled sleep from about 2 months on.
- would only nap in the upright position until she was 4 months old.

Now that she's 8 months old, her only issues are that she wakes anywhere from 5 - 10 times/night (which could be caused by any number of things) and this weird stool test that I described in my first post.


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## Mona (May 22, 2003)

Island mommy-
Wow, my DD had many symptoms as your DD. She is pretty much left with just the gas in the mornings and the waking at night.
I had never heard of lipase until this post.

Is there anything that I can do to change the lipase in my bm?
DD does not drink from a bottle, and not much from a cup either, just straight from the source.

Very interesting stuff....


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## Mona (May 22, 2003)

Just wanted to add that I looked on the internet last night. Found some other examples of this happening to women, in terms of their bm smelling funky, and the scalding issue to prevent it. But no mention of digestive problems for their babes, nor how to change the excess lipase prob to begin with.







:


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## cj'smommy (Aug 14, 2003)

I was also told to stop bf'ing because my son has MSPI (milk soy protein intolerance) but I refused to stop!







I was told that he couldn't handle my breastmilk, but that wasn't true, he couldn't handle what I was eating. Big difference. It's sad that so many moms are told to stop.









I'm glad I stuck with it though I had to change my diet dramatically, and the Ped GI said I did the best thing by continuing.

I thought the Lipase problem was over because I took some frozen EBM out the other day and it tasted as fresh as just pumped, but then when I pulled out another bag it was awful. sigh.

Does anyone know if you have to scald the milk right after it's pumped? Sometimes I'm lucky to have time to pump, let alone get it scalded right away.


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## Island Mommy (Mar 26, 2003)

Yes, I believe you have to scald the milk immediately. Do a search on this forum for lipase...there are some other threads with more info.

How do you get the diagnosis of MSPI for your ds? What tests were done and what symptoms did he have?

Mona, I don't know that excess lipase does cause digestive problems. I was just speculating.


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