breastfeeding

[mandamae]

i discovered i had hep c in april 2010 while breastfeeding my one and a half month old, Abigail. Yes, i was cracked, bleeding and the whole nine yards....when i developed mastitus is when i put the boob away....HOW COMMON IS IT TO PASS HEP C THROUGH BREAST FEEDING???? i know the transmission rate for delivery is low, but im not sure of the breast feeding numbers......the doc will test her at 6 months....thats in august....im a nervous wreck!!!!

[lupette]

I also, breastfed my one without knowing I was infected and without any transmission. Honestly . . . if you have any anti-HCV antibodies . . .breastfeeding will likely pass them on to your children and make them more resistant to infection throughout their lives. I do agree with the earilier post however, and would recommend abstaining if/when nipples are cracked or bleeding.

[Diane12855]

I breast fed all 3 of my babies, not knowing I was infected. They are fine. Remember, even if you did bleed, the blood would have had to get into the baby's blood stream. Going through the digestive tract would destroy the virus. So, unless your baby had open, bleeding sores in the mouth at the exact same time you were bleeding, it couldn't have been passed.

[Bill1954]

From Janis and Friends—

http://janis7hepc.com/Modes%20of%20Transmission.htm#preg

“Should a woman with hepatitis C be advised against breast-feeding?
No. There is no evidence that breast-feeding spreads HCV. HCV-positive mothers should consider abstaining from breast-feeding if their nipples are cracked or bleeding.”

Of course, your doctor is the best resource to discuss all this with; no one else has access to your personal medical file. It sounds like you covered your bases pretty well so far by stopping breastfeeding when you did. Be sure to read through and familiarize yourself with the Janis and Friend’s site; it provides a good over view of disease management.

Good luck with your child’s test results—

--Bill