Neonatal hypernatraemic dehydration and malnutrition associated with inadequate breastfeeding and elevated breast milk sodium.

The advantages of breastfeedng to both the mother and infant are well recognised. In rare instances if breasteding is inadequate or if the sodium content bast milk is high, malnutrition and hypernatraemia can result. A 15 days old exclusively breastfed baby presented with inadequate weight gain. On evaluation, he was found to have hypernatraemia and mother's breast milk showed high sodium concentrations. The infant needed parenteral fluid for correction of dehydration and hypernatraemia. His serum sodium and breast milk sodium of the other of the mother returned to normal gradually. He started gaining weight on exclusive breastfeeds. The present paper describes the case report and brief review of the literature.