Rare Meats and BreastFeeding

I recently had a rare roasted beef sandwich can this affect the baby through breastmilk?

[Fernando Gonzalez, M.D.]

It is unlikely that eating rare meat will affect a baby through breastmilk.  It is possible for a mother to contract infections through eating undercooked meat or unpasteurized dairy products, which on rare occasions can affect the developing fetus during pregnancy, but I am not aware of these infections being passed through breastmilk.  However, care must be taken in preparation and storage of raw meat and unpasteurized dairy, for if raw meat is infected with parasites or bacteria, handling of these products without proper handwashing followed by preparation of products for a baby, such as a bottle or pacifier, can expose them to these organisms.