I know of two mothers who sustained full thickness burns to the upper chest in early childhood, requiring long hospital stays and extensive skin grafts.  Both have breastfed without problems.  The mother in the post today has one breast that was unaffected, so there is no reason to expect she would be completely unable to breastfeed.  There is no reason to be anything but expectant and attentive as she establishes breastfeeding.  She may, if there is any gland tissue that is constricted by scar tissue, experience engorgement that will only resolve if the glands involute, but she may have remarkably little difficulty.  

The same things hold that hold for any woman who wants to breastfeed: she should be cared for according to the principles in the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding.  I'd say it is an additional advantage if she has contact with a supportive person who can see to it that any incipient problems are dealt with swiftly - but don't assume there will be major problems.  There isn't anything she or her helpers can do beforehand anyway; she, like anyone else, has to wait and see how it goes.

Rachel Myr
Kristiansand, Norway

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