Previous breast surgery, particularly breast reduction, may have severed necessary nerves or removed too much glandular tissue. Perhaps a birth defect or injury to the developing breast doesn't permit full lactation. In a few case reports, diminished lactation has led to elevated sodium levels in mother's milk which could cause dehydration in newborn infants. Excessive sodium levels can also occur when there is an unusual delay in the maturation of colostrum to breast milk. Sodium levels can be normalized with appropriate lactation counseling, including pumping between feedings to increase a mother's milk supply more rapidly.
Mothers can also watch for signs that their breasts are functioning normally.
Pumping or hand expressing a bit of milk may relieve a new mother's concern about whether or not she is actually producing milk. A more likely possibility to explore is that the baby is unable to suckle properly. The mother can be helped to determine what baby is doing as he sucks and can be taught how to work with her baby to improve his breastfeeding skills. As mothers, our hearts go out to those who shared their stories of dehydration to warn parents about its realities. Unfortunately, their tragedies have been linked to breastfeeding in the minds of some.