Diseases that affect breast-feeding
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Diseases that affect breast-feeding
Most women with chronic illnesses or infectious diseases can breast-feed.
- Women with diabetes usually can breast-feed but may need to follow a special diet. They may be able to lower their insulin doses while breast-feeding because their blood glucose is being used for milk production.
- Women with cystic fibrosis or phenylketonuria (PKU) must have their milk and their infant's health monitored when breast-feeding.
- In most cases, breast-feeding is possible when the mother has hepatitis A, chronic hepatitis B or hepatitis C, or cytomegalovirus (CMV).
However, other diseases may make breast milk unsafe for the baby. A woman should not breast-feed if she:
- Is infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) because she can pass the virus to her baby in her milk.1
- Has active tuberculosis or some viral infections (such as active, acute hepatitis).
- Has sores on her breast caused by infections (such as herpes, syphilis, or chickenpox) until the illness has been resolved or successfully treated.
A rare hormonal disorder called Sheehan's syndrome makes a woman unable to produce milk or to produce enough milk to feed her baby. Sheehan's syndrome results from severe bleeding (hemorrhaging) immediately after giving birth.
References
Citations
Nduati R, et al. (2000). Effect of breastfeeding and formula feeding on transmission of HIV-1. JAMA, 283(9): 1167–1174.
Credits
| Author | Kathe Gallagher, MSW |
| Editor | Kathleen M. Ariss, MS |
| Associate Editor | Denele Ivins |
| Associate Editor | Pat Truman, MATC |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Joy Melnikow, MD, MPH - Family Medicine |
| Last Updated | May 10, 2007 |
| Last updated: | May 10, 2007 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Kathe Gallagher, MSW |
| Reviewed By: | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine, Joy Melnikow, MD, MPH - Family Medicine |
| Editors: | Kathleen M. Ariss, MS, Pat Truman, MATC |
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