HIV, breastfeeding and mastitis

[Guest guest]

Dear ladies

In a country where then national health authorities have decided that health services will primarily counsel and support mothers know to be HIV-infected to breastfeed and receive antiretrovirals, if the mother develops mastitis, then is it suggested that the mother does not breastfeed from that breast and just express in the meantime? If this is the case, is this because the risk of passing HIV on to the infant increases during a bout of mastitis because the HIV load increases but also the intercellular spaces between lactocytes increase? Is she able to provide the EBM to her baby once it has been heat treated? If so, how exactly must it be heat treated?

Many thanks

Warm regards

Kam

Cert. IV Breastfeeding Education (counselling), B(Physio), sitting the IBCLC exam this year

Australian Breastfeeding Association Breastfeeding Information Manager