Lawrence and Lawrence's seminal textbook Breastfeeding A Guide for the Medical Profession (6th ed, 2005) indicates at page 1009 that mothers with MRSA should breastfeed their babies, with Contact Precautions (as defined by CDC). My quick search of PubMed revealed this intriguing abstract (see below), where I have highlighted a phrase of interest to those working with breastfeeding mothers: Pediatr Int. 2003 Apr;45(2):238-45. Prevention of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus infections in neonates. Kitajima H. Department of Neonatal Medicine, Osaka Medical Center, Izumi, Osaka, Japan. Reports of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection in neonatal intensive care units (NICU) and normal newborn nurseries in Japan were investigated, and various methods of preventing transmission were evaluated. In the late 1980s, MRSA which had spread in adult wards also invaded NICU. Very low birthweight or premature infants had become the targets of MRSA infection and this has now become a serious problem. Recent reports have revealed that 87% of major NICU in Japan have suffered from MRSA infections. However, we have found that preventive measures can greatly reduce the risk of a newborn being infected by a carrier, while also controlling the disease caused by MRSA infection. Recently, MRSA infections in normal newborn nurseries have also become a serious problem in pediatric departments. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus which can colonize in the newborn baby just after birth, is passed on to the newborn by carrier medical staff. ***It was found to be of great importance that infant's mothers hold and nurse their babies immediately after birth, and start breast-feeding while still in the delivery room. Furthermore, the most appropriate and ideal newborn nursery is one where mother and child are roomed together and there is little intervention by the hospital. ***[emphasis added] In neonatal care, it is of utmost importance to treat carriers of MRSA bacteria, and to inhibit the spread of the bacterium in babies by taking standard precautionary measures. PMID: 12709163 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Liz Brooks, JD, IBCLCWyndmoor, PA, USA
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