It's been a while since I looked at the public health information
distributed specific to West Nile Virus and breastfeeding. When I last
looked at this issue the US news was full of reports of a case where a baby
was thought to have been exposed to WNV through breast milk. There was
little information available on the internet for breastfeeding moms who may
have been exposed to WNV.

I'm pleased to report that this has changed. If one Googles "breastfeeding"
and "West Nile," several government Question and Answer web pages appear.
First on the list is Health Canada's information page, followed by the CDC's
information page.

I like the CDC wording:

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/qa/breastfeeding.htm

>
> Q. Should I continue breast-feeding if I am symptomatic for West Nile virus?
> A. Because the health benefits of breast-feeding are well established, and the
> risk for West Nile virus transmission through breast-feeding is unknown, the
> new findings do not suggest a change in breast-feeding recommendations. The
> American Academy of Pediatricians and the American Academy of Family
> Physicians recommend that infants be breastfed for a full year of life.
>
> Lactating women who are ill or who are having difficulty breast-feeding for
> any reason, as always, should consult their physicians.
>
> Q. Should I continue breast-feeding if I am not symptomatic for West Nile
> virus?
> A. Yes. Because the health benefits of breast-feeding are well established,
> and the risk for West Nile virus transmission through breast-feeding is
> unknown, the new findings do not suggest a change in breast-feeding
> recommendations.
<snip>

I am less pleased with Health Canada' web site as it doesn't provide advice
for women who are not symptomatic:

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/english/westnile/pregnancy.html#4

> Should women with symptoms of WN virus continue to breast-feed their children?
>
> Women who are breast-feeding their children should contact their doctors for
> advice if they have symptoms of any illness, including WN virus. It appears
> that WN virus can be passed through breast milk, but the level of risk is
> still unknown. On the other hand, the health benefits of breast-feeding are
> well known. Women who have concerns about the potential to transmit WN virus
> through breast-feeding should consult their doctor for advice in their
> specific situation.
<snip>

The third hit on Google is kellymom's attachment parenting site:

http://www.kellymom.com/meds/westnilevirus.html

> Breastfeeding and West Nile Virus
>
> Breastfeeding mothers have been concerned about West Nile Virus (WNV) since
> the flurry of publicity in Fall 2002 about the transmission of West Nile via
> breastmilk.
>
> The current recommendation from the US Centers for Disease Control is that a
> mother should not interrupt breastfeeding if she contracts West Nile Virus,
> since the risk to the baby from weaning to infant formula is greater than the
> risk posed by the potential WNV infection.

The fourth hit is the New York City department of health information, which
is a mix of the Health Canada and CDC wording. Better in that it addresses
women who are not symptomatic, but not as definitive as the CDC.

-- Jodine Chase

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