Whether a baby with high blood ammonia can be breastfed depends on the baby’s condition. If the blood ammonia is physiologically elevated, regular rechecks of the blood ammonia value will be conducted, and if the blood ammonia returns to normal, the baby can be breastfed, but it should follow the principle of from less to more; if the blood ammonia is pathologically elevated, breastfeeding is not recommended in general.
Amino acid metabolism in the body will form ammonia, and ammonia enters the blood to form blood ammonia, the normal value of which is 5.88~35.3 μmol/L. If a newborn baby eats high-protein food, it may cause blood ammonia to be elevated, and there is no abnormal symptom, which is a physiological elevation of blood ammonia, and it is necessary to review blood ammonia regularly, and if blood ammonia is back to normal, it will not affect breastfeeding.
If the infant has congenital metabolic disease, complete enzyme deficiency, low protein diet is needed, and breastfeeding is not recommended. Some diseases of amino acid metabolism, such as phenylketonuria and maple diabetes, can be breastfed in small amounts.
Therefore, when the infant’s blood ammonia is high, it is recommended to consult the pediatrician in time to clarify the cause of the elevated blood ammonia, and let the doctor’s judgment decide whether breastfeeding is possible.