An infection in the breast is a problem that sometimes happens when you are breast-feeding. The medical term for a breast infection is mastitis.
Breast infections are usually caused by bacteria. It’s common to have bacteria on the nipple and in a baby's mouth. If a nipple is injured and cracked, the bacteria may get into the milk ducts in the breast and cause an infection.
A number of things can make it easier for the breasts to get infected, such as:
Symptoms of an infection may include:
Your healthcare practitioner will ask about your symptoms and medical history. Your provider may examine your breast.
Make sure your baby is feeding well and that you are breast-feeding often. If the baby is not effectively removing the milk, a lactation specialist can help. Also, using a breast pump to keep milk flowing can help.
Your healthcare provider may prescribe antibiotic medicine to treat the infection. The sooner you start treatment, the sooner you will feel better. Prompt treatment may prevent other problems, like a breast abscess (a pocket of pus that will need to be drained).
The infection usually does not pass to the baby. If you are taking an antibiotic, the baby will get some of the medicine through the breast milk. That is usually not a problem for the baby. Talk to your child’s healthcare provider if you have concerns about this.
If you are pumping milk for a sick or premature hospitalized baby when you develop mastitis, your healthcare provider may ask you to discard the milk collected from the infected side until you feel well. Your baby can still drink the milk from the uninfected side.