5 grams equals one teaspoon.  I was using just table salt and mixing it in the bottles. I think we about 1/8 tsp in about 5 bottles a day (so alittle less than a teaspoon).   I bottle fed our first one before I was so afraid of not giving him enough salt. And he almost died because we did not know he had CAH (and lost so much weight - very scary).  He drank the salty milk without any problems.  As he got older, I salted the baby foods.

I tried breast feeding my next son with CAH and it was very difficult to give the salt. And the doctor did not prescribe enough salt solution (which was very had to get from the drug store - you had to order it).  Finally I called Dr. Maria New and she call my ped endo and she told her the right amount of salt solution to use.  But my son had to go into the hospital a week to get IVs.   Too little can be a BIG problem.  And the liquid cortef was not working right that time either (1998).  He was also put on the pill form of cortef - which helped!!  He took florinef in the am and pm.  Cortef three times a day.  Adam was taking about 10 to 15 mg of cortef a day as a baby.  The first three years is critical to stay on top of the doses because they are growing so much and they are drink so much liquids.  When you go to solids, sometimes it is hard to get them to eat all the food (they still want alot of milk - so more urine ..... and more sodium is lost out the urine).

Yes - question the doctor!! Look at the John Hopkins web page.  The John Hopkins patient handbook states: "10-12 mEq of sodium"  is needed.  You can call the John Hopkins doctors or email them with your questions.

Make sure you have the solu-cortef injection kit!! Get the the medical alert bracket.

I live in Virginia (washington dc area), but we are moving to Germany on 1 Nov.  Call me if you want or call CARES.  www.caresfoundation.org  My phone is 703-370-4611 or call CARES  toll free 1-866-CARES37 (1-866-227-3737) and talk to Kelly Leight (she has a daughter with CAH).

Roberta (robertapre@msn.com)