HELLP syndrome refers to the development of a particular type of liver
failure in a pregnant woman.  It consists of Hemolysis (rupture of red blood
cells), Elevated Liver enzymes, and Low Platelet count (a blood product
required for blood clotting) in the third trimester. It is one of the
"toxemias of pregnancy" .  One of the first signs is rising blood pressure.
 The best way to treat it is early delivery.  Some use of of a type of
hypertension medicine (known as Beta-blockers ) has also been discussed in
the literature.    I can't imagine ANY way in which breast feeding of any
duration would increase (or decrease) her risk of developing HELLP syndrome
again.  There is nothing in the literature (at least by a Med-Line search)
that we can find associating breast feeding and HELLP.  I have added (below)
copies of two abstracts on HELLP syndrome for anyone interested in reading a
little further on the subject.

Peter Salomon, MD, FACG
Board Certified Gastroenterologist


Authors:
Makkonen N , Harju M , Kirkinen P
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Kuopio,
Finland.
J Perinat Med 1996;24(6):641-9

Abstract: Postpartum recovery was examined in 100 pregnancies complicated by
severe pre-eclampsia, and in 15 pregnancies in which HELLP-syndrome as
present. Albuminuria disappeared and diastolic blood pressure returned to
normal (< 90 mmHg) in half of the cases within one week postpartum.
Postpartum recovery in the cases with HELLP-syndrome did not differ from that
seen in the pre-eclamptic patients. Thrombocytopenia showed spontaneous
resolution within three days after delivery. In stepwise discriminant
analysis, the incidence of IUGR predicted a slow postpartum recovery, but
this did not apply to other factors. Such as diastolic blood pressure before
delivery, duration of subjective symptoms, duration of pregnancy
or severity of albuminuria. Elevated diastolic pressure and/or albuminuria
were diagnosed two months postpartum in one third of the patients. If the
development of eclampsia is prevented by correctly timing the induction of
delivery, relatively good short-term postpartum recovery is probable after
severe pre-eclampsia and HELLP-syndrome.

Authors:
Helguera-Martinez AM , Tenorio-Maranon R , Vigil-de Gracia PE ,
Garcia-Caceres E
Medicos Adscritos a la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos Adultos del Hospital de
Ginecoobstetricia
No.4IMSS.
Ginecol Obstet Mex 1996 Dec;64():528-33

Abstract: One hundred and two cases of HELLP Syndrome admitted at the Adults
Intensive Care Unit since January 1992, to June 1994; 63 with severe
preeclampsia, 26 eclamptics and 13 with chronic hypertension more
preeclampsia-eclampsia were analysed. The mean age was 24 year (range, 15 to
42). All 102 of the patients had one or more symptoms, those more often were:
headache (85), right upper-quadrant tenderness (61), nausea and/or vomiting
(31). The diastolic blood pressure maximum before the admission was 100 mm Hg
or less in patients and 46 had more than 110 mm Hg. The mean platelets count
was 58000 (range, 17000 to 100000). The median of laboratory test were:
lactic dehydrogenase (830 u/l), glutamic oxaloacetic
transaminase (278 u/l), glutamic pyruvic transaminase (263 u/l), total
bilirubin (3.3 mg/dl). There were complications in 37 patients; acute renal
failure 20, disseminated intravascular coagulopathy in 11, cerebral
hemorrhage in 10 and abruption placentae in 6 patients. During the study
period there were 20 death due to preeclampsia-eclampsia and 14 were in
patients with HELLP syndrome, cerebral hemorrhage was the main cause (70%).
In the group study 11 intrauterine deaths were diagnosed.