Severe hypernatremic dehydration and death in a breast-fed infant

Breast milk is acknowledged as the best source of nutrition for neonates. W e present the ease of a full-term newborn who was fed solely breast milk an d developed severe dehydration and hypernatremia. The patient developed cer ebral edema, transverse sinus thrombosis, and died. The literature on the u ncommon entity of breast-feeding hypernatremia and dehydration is reviewed, and management strategies are presented.