Can nursing mothers transmit diseases to infants? What about std's or staph?
There are a few infectious diseases that mothers have that can be transmitted through human milk to the baby, including HIV and untreated tuberculosis. And mothers with tuberculosis should not breastfeed until appropriate treatment has been started.
Answered by Karen W. -
About Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB) is a contagious bacterial infection that involves the lungs but may spread to other parts of the body. TB is caused by a bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and spreads via droplets expelled by the lungs while coughing or sneezing. Symptoms include coughing, expectorating blood and mucus, fever, fatigue, unintentional weight loss, breathing difficulty, wheezing and excessive sweating (especially at night). The people most at risk for contracting TB include infants, the elderly, people with weakened immune systems due to HIV or AIDS infection and people exposed to the disease.
About Infectious Diseases
An infectious disease is a communicable disease stemming from some sort of biological pathogen like a virus or bacteria.
More about Infectious Diseases »
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