Why Johnny Can't Suck

Coach Smith

Johnny was born yesterday, but hasn't nursed effectively yet. He frets and sucks his fist, his mom brings him in close to her breast, he opens wide and... STOPS. Now what? Why can't he latch on and suck?

The baby's mouth is not just a hole into which you poke a breast and PRESTO - magically milk flows into the hole. The baby's suck is controlled by dozens of muscles which must have intact innervation, sufficient caloric support, good blood supply and no pharmacological or other insults in order to contract sequentially and smoothly. And, no super-stimulus (like deep suctioning) that can set up a reverse muscle contraction pattern as the baby attempts to protect his airway. Other muscle groups that must contract smoothly and sequentially for proper function include the heart, uterus, and entire gastrointestinal tract.

All birth medications (I repeat - ALL birth medications) have been documented to affect the baby. All mechanical and chemical interventions used during birth affect the central nervous system and one or more of the 6 cranial nerves that control suck-swallow-breathe. If you mess with the baby, you get messed-up suck and/or damaged nipples. There are now several studies that document placental transfer of narcotics and anesthetic agents delivered by epidural catheter.

Johnny can't suck because during his mom's birth he was drugged with narcotics or tranquilizers, numbed by epidural anesthetics, and pried out with forceps or yanked out by the hair with a vacuum extractor. All these affect his oral nerves and muscles. And probably give him one huge headache besides.

I think we see so many cases of damaged nipples and babies who don't latch on because birth is managed so poorly with medications, epidurals, forceps, separation of mom & baby, suctioning, etc. etc. It's a wonder any of these kids can suck at all, much less properly. If we did to athletes what we do to babies at birth, world records would be at 1920's levels instead of where they are today.