There is absolutely no reason for the mother not to breastfeed. A longitudinal study from Taiwan, where 15% of all women of child bearing age are, or were, Hepatitis B positive, showed no difference in pickup by the baby depending on the type of feeding. The reference is: Beasley RP, Stevens CE, Shiao IS, Meng HC. Evidence against breastfeeding as a mechanism for vertical transmission of heapatitis B. Lancet 1975;2:740. Note that this study was done before we immunized babies against hepatitis. Now that we give them immunoglobulin and immunize them, there should be no concern at all. Physicians who don't know anything about breastfeeding and advise mothers not to breastfeed. AARGH! Jack Newman, MD, FRCPC