Barbara laments the lack of a prospective study on mastitis.  There was one
done in Australia (Kinlay JR O'Connell DL Kinlay S 1998 MJA 169: 310-312).

It surveyed 1,075 women who were breastfeeding in postnatal wards from two
hospitals.  Baseline and followup questionnaires were sent at 3, 8 and 26
weeks postpartum.  Telephone followup was done for all women who had mastitis.

Results: 20% developed mastitis in the six months after delivery, with 75%
of these cases occurring within seven weeks of giving birth.  Multiple
episodes of mastitis were reported by 63 women.  73% of women saw their
general practitioner (family practice doctor) and 87% of women who were
prescribed antibiotics for the first episode of mastitis took them for less
than the recommended ten days.

Denise

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Denise Fisher, BN, RM, IBCLC
BreastEd Online Lactation Studies Course
http://www.breasted.com.au
mailto:[log in to unmask]
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