Lactation Mastitis: Occurrence and Medical Management among 946 Breastfeeding Women in the United States

Abstract

In 1994-1998, the authors followed 946 breastfeeding women from Michigan and Nebraska for the first 3 months postpartum or until they stopped breastfeeding to describe mastitis incidence, mastitis treatment, and any associations between mastitis occurrence and hypothesized host characteristics and behaviors. Participants were interviewed by telephone at 3, 6, 9, and 12 weeks postpartum or until they ceased breastfeeding. A total of 9.5% reported provider-diagnosed lactation mastitis at least once during the 12-week period, with 64% diagnosed via telephone. After adjustment in a logistic regression model, history of mastitis with a previous child (odds ratio (OR) = 4.0, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.64, 6.11), cracks and nipple sores in the same week as mastitis (OR = 3.4, 95% CI: 2.04, 5.51), using an antifungal nipple cream (presumably for nipple thrush) in the same 3-week interval as mastitis (OR = 3.4, 95% CI: 1.37, 8.54), and (for women with no prior mastitis history) using a manual breast pump (OR = 3.3, 95% CI: 1.92, 5.62) strongly predicted mastitis. Feeding fewer than 10 times per day was protective regardless of whether or not feeding frequency in the same week or the week before mastitis was included in the model (for the same week: 7-9 times: OR = 0.6, 95% CI: 0.41, 1.01; < or =6 times: OR = 0.4, 95% CI: 0.19, 0.82). Duration of feeding was not associated with mastitis risk.

Cytological Study of Palpable Breast Lump Presenting in Eastern Nepal

“…The clinical features of mastitis can be confused with breast cancer. So early diagnosis 10,11,12 and treatment is necessary.…”

Somatic Cell Count: A Human Breast Wellbeing Indicator

“…Healthy subjects in the present study were screened based upon visual signs and symptoms of bacterial infection and the health of the infant was also considered as it may act as a source for the spread of infection to the mother. Clinical signs and symptoms such as breast engorgement, fever, redness on the breast and pus draining from the nipples were taken into consideration while the infected mother was screened (25,26). According to the International Dairy Federation guideline, animals and their milk are classified as subclinical mastitis, clinical mastitis and non-mastitic (normal) using the SCC threshold of 500 cells/µL , >5000 cells/µL and <200 cells/µL for clinical mastitis (27).…”

Experience and knowledge level of female health care professionals in Samsun province regarding puerperal mastitis

“…After the initiation of antibiotic therapy and proper breast emptying, inflammatory symptoms of the affected breast are improved within two weeks (12). Delayed diagnosis or treatment may result in recurrent mastitis, breast abscess, and even mortality, in some circumstances (13).…”