Hi Lactnetters,

A confluence of events brings about this post.

In Ruth Lawrence's recent paper on risks and benefits of bf in the US, she
discusses herbs briefly and saw fit to state that there are no contra
indications, per se, for their use in breastfeeding women.  A sweeping
statement to make but perhaps not without accuracy in most cases.

In the same section, she mentions that garlic as having caused burns when
applied topically, a curious statement with no reference.  Had a reference of
an infant dying after being directly fed fresh garlic but nothing about burns.

Then my husband came across an intriguing anecdote, published in an emergency
medicine journal (1997?), of a woman who suffered severe burns/tissue erosion
to her lactating breasts after using fresh garlic poultices to treat rashes
she took to be thrush.

Mind you, she didn't put the poultice over the nipples ( so can't see it would
have been thrush), so baby continued to nurse throughout whole episode.
Despite the burning sensation that she said starting almost immediately, she
left the packs in place for 3 days!!  Also noted is the possibility that the
reaction was worsened by the unidentified rash, and that the lactating breast
could be more sensitive.  The authors wrote a well-balanced report and clearly
separated their cautionary tale on  external use of fresh garlic from internal
use and benefits thereof.

The article includes several other references of burns suffered from fresh
garlic - this seems the only incident reported about the lactating breast.
Ironically enough, the new herbal PDR, at least the part  scanned and copied
to me recently, does not seem to include any mention of skin irritation/burns
but does mention that garlic has been used to treat skin rashes.

And when I find where I put that Emerg Med article, can give you the complete
reference!

Sheila Humphrey
BSc RN IBCLC
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