Sorry I've lost the original postee so can't respond privately. Someone was
asking about formulating a policy for mothers who are HepC pos.  You may
find the following to be incredibly useful.
Denise

http://pediatrics.medscape.com/reuters/prof/1999/11/11.10/ep11109b.html

WESTPORT, Nov 10 (Reuters Health) - Hepatitis C virus (HCV)–infected women
pose little risk to their infants by breastfeeding, according to
researchers in
Germany.

"Controversial results have been reported on the detection of HCV RNA in
breast
milk," Dr. Susanne Polywka and colleagues at University Hospital Eppendorf, in
Hamburg, explain in the November issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases. In an
attempt to settle this controversy, they examined the risk of vertical
transmission of
HCV by breast milk in 73 chronically-infected women and 76 of their
perinatally-exposed children.

While almost 60% of the women had active HCV viremia, not one of the 76 breast
milk samples obtained from the women tested positive for HCV RNA, the
investigators report. 

Only one of the 76 children in the study became infected with HCV. However,
this
child was infected within the first month after birth, suggesting that the
infection was
not likely transmitted by breastfeeding, the authors say. 

"Our results do not suggest that nursing enhances the risk of HCV
transmission from
infected mothers to their babies," Dr. Polywka and her team conclude.
Therefore,
they see no reason to advise chronically-infected women against
breastfeeding. 

However, the findings do not preclude the possibility that women with acute
HCV
infection acquired after delivery may be able to infect their infants via
nursing. The
researchers point out that "...different recommendations might be necessary
in these
cases." 

Clin Infect Dis 1999;29:1327-1329.
****************************************************
Denise Fisher, BN, RM, IBCLC
BreastEd Online Lactation Studies Course
http://www.breasted.com.au
mailto:[log in to unmask]
****************************************************

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