Laurie Shornick:  "The CDC does not advocate stopping breastfeeding. What
they do suggest is that if you truly have the influenza virus then you
should take precautions to avoid exposing your baby to the virus in your
respiratory droplets while you breastfeed."

Yes, they advocate taking precautions, but ONLY while BREASTFEEDING.   Not
while holding the baby and not while formula-feeding.  They don't have to
directly advocate stopping breastfeeding after advice like this--it will
happen as a natural consequence.  

The advice is useless in part because the mother is not avoiding exposure at
any point except during breastfeeding, so that the baby's exposure is
already guaranteed.  When the baby becomes symptomatic, the mother will
naturally feel that she failed to adequately protect her baby from the
hazards of breastfeeding, especially if at some point in the first 24
hours--perhaps between midnight and 4 a.m.--she failed to adequately wash
and mask before a feeding, as directed by the CDC.

The flu is a dangerous illness.  In my opinion, the CDC has just increased
the risk of infant mortality with this uninformed advice.

Arly Helm, MS, IBCLC

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