Hi, Susan, in answer to your request for references to support breastfeeding when mama is HCV positive: The National Institute of Health issued a statement in March 1997 about Hepatitis C management, and said this about breastfeeding by Hepatitis C-infected mothers: "Pregnancy is not contraindicated in HCV-infected individuals. Perinatal transmission from mother to baby occurs in less than 6 percent of instances. There is no evidence that breast-feeding transmits HCV from mother to baby; therefore, it is considered safe. Babies born to HCV-positive mothers should be tested for anti-HCV at 1 year." You can find this statement at: http://www.hepnet.com/nihstate.html With this advice about how to reference it: "This statement will be published as: Management of Hepatitis C. NIH Consensus Statement 1997 March 24-26;15(3): in press. For making bibliographic reference to consensus statement no. 105 in the electronic form displayed here, it is recommended that the following format be used: NIH Consensus Statement Online 1997 March 24-26 [cited year, month, day]; 15(3): in press." Two other good references are: Fischler B, Lindh G, Lindgren S et al. Vertical transmission of hepatitis C virus infection. Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases, 1996 28(4):353-356. "The risk of vertical transmission is low and breastfeeding is safe." Lin H-H, Kao J-H, Hsu H-Y et al. Absence of infection in breast-fed infants born to hepatitis C virus-infected mothers. Journal of Pediatrics, April 1995 126(4):589-591. "No breastfed infant had evidence of HCV infection for up to 1 year of age." Ginna Wall, MN, IBCLC, Lactation Services Coordinator University of Washington Medical Center, Mailbox 356153 1959 NE Pacific Street, Seattle WA 98195 Voicemail: (206)548-6368, Fax: (206)548-7665