My baby is not sucking

ask doctorMy 6-weeks-old son has refused to suck my breasts for the past five days. Kindly tell me what could be wrong and how to correct it.

Dubemi (by SMS)

There are many reasons why your baby may not be sucking well. In some cases, the problems may come from the baby himself such as mouth sore, illness e.g. a cold or earache, sore throat, introduction of other foods, Teething, Biting or overuse of a dummy (or pacifier). On the other hand, the mother may also have issues such as stress, ill-health, a different smell- e.g., different perfume, smoke, hormonal changes, menstruation and pre-menstrual tension, ovulation, pregnancy or the use of oral contraceptives. Sometimes the fault could be due to sore or irretraceable nipples as well as lack of milk in the mother’s breasts. In view of the above, it will be advisable for you to check yourself and your baby in order to know where the problem may lie.