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Subject:
From:
Gary Bovey <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Wed, 2 Aug 1995 23:10:22 +1000
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Hi, Judy Holtzer Knopf and everyone. I suspect the mother would be dead
before her baby picked up botulism via the full route you were concerned
about, Judy. If it were to infect the mother's blood, I'd expect fairly
catstrophic results for her. The other question you seem to be raising is
whether or not bacteria will be able to find their way across the cell
membranes in the breast's alveoli from the blood into the milk. Probably
only if the cell walls were damaged, and then only if there were a local
infection or a large enough build up of bacteria in the mother's blood, like
septicaemia.(Septicaemia caused by a Clostridium bacteria of any kind sounds
fatal to me.)  Small numbers of prospective infective agents like bacteria
will be "mopped up" by the leucocytes in the blood, so would not be
available to cause infection (or be available to travel through cell walls
into breast alveoli).

Arly raises another worrying thought - with the mother who develops botulism
while breastfeeding. Our Cecil's reference says that C. botulinum toxin is
THE most toxic of all toxins. In other words, a minute amount may cause
symptoms of poisoning. Most toxins that I've asked our poisons information
people about seem to be readily secreted into breast milk. Does this mean
that even before the mother realizes she is ill, there may be enough of the
toxin in her milk to cause problems for her baby? What if she has fed her
baby after she has started to have symptoms? This is difficult to find
information about - one of the more abstruse areas of research interest!
I've had cause to ask these questions in the Australian context because we
have 9 of the 10 most poisonous snakes in the world, the only 2 spiders
capable of killing humans with their poisonous bites, the only poisonous
octopus and numerous marine stingers (more killers)!

As others have said, why do it anyway. (Honey on nipples, that is!)  Not to
mention the fun that Candida would have with such a good medium for its
growth when so many mothers have the tiresome prospect of treating for
nipple thrush and baby's oral thrush anyway. Any other takers on the above
possibilities?

Robyn Noble (ex Bug Grower/Medical Scientist)IBCLC and Anne Bovey (Speech
Therapist), Brisbane, Australia

PS Judy, give yourself a pat on the back for managing to stay reasonably
diplomatic in the face of great provocation! It's hard to keep at it when
you are the proverbial lone voice in the wilderness.

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