Dear Janet,

....for the mother with nipple yeast and the baby with "pink eye":

Pink eye is possible in a two week old baby, but a more likely diagnosis
would be a blocked tear duct.  These nearly always tend to resolve
spontaneously within the first year of life. If not, they are usually probed
and the obstruction is cleared.   If the discharge and inflammation is mild,
the mother could certainly try some breastmilk.  If there is a lot of
redness and if the eye is discharging significant amounts, I would suggest
antibiotic eye drops.

I do not think that the breastmilk poses any risk to the eye, even if nipple
yeast infection is present.  There might be a small risk if the infant is
compromised immunologically.

By the way, breastmilk is great for little noses that get blocked with
colds: warm, loaded with antibodies, white blood cells, easily available and
free.  Beats those saline nasal spray preparations!

Shirley




M. Shirley Gross M.D.,C.M., C.C.F.P., I.B.C.L.C.
Director, Edmonton Breastfeeding Clinic
E mail at  <[log in to unmask]>