Hi Kim, If the mother has staph aureus, the baby is already exposed, most likely through skin-to-skin contact. Dr. Hale's site https://www.infantrisk.com/content/breastfeeding-mothers-who-are-carriers-staphylococcus-aureus has a good discussion on this. Cindy Garrison BS IBCLC practicing in Pittsburgh PA *********************************************** Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html To reach list owners: [log in to unmask] Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask] COMMANDS: 1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail 2. To start it again: set lactnet mail 3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet 4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome