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Breast-feeding, pain and infection
P Thomassen1, V A Johansson, C Wassberg
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stockholm Söder Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Gynecologic and Obstetric Investigation
|August 14, 1998
Summary
Deep breast pain during lactation may not be caused by Candida albicans. Bacterial presence in breast milk and on nipples suggests bacteria, not fungi, play a role in this painful lactation syndrome.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Lactation Physiology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- A syndrome of deep breast pain during and after lactation is often attributed to Candida albicans infection.
- The etiology of this painful lactation syndrome requires further investigation to differentiate microbial causes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the presence of bacteria and fungi in breast milk and on nipples of women experiencing deep breast pain during lactation versus those with superficial infections and healthy controls.
- To determine the potential pathogenic role of bacteria versus fungi in deep breast pain during lactation.
Main Methods:
- A comparative study involving three groups: 20 patients with deep breast pain, 20 with superficial infections, and 20 healthy women.
- Microbiological analysis of breast milk and nipple swabs to identify bacterial and fungal growth.
Main Results:
- Candida albicans was identified more frequently in women with superficial lesions than in those with deep pain.
- Bacteria were commonly detected on the nipple and in the milk of women reporting deep breast pain.
- Fungal presence was less common in deep pain cases compared to superficial infections.
Conclusions:
- The findings suggest that bacteria, rather than Candida albicans, are more likely implicated in the deep breast pain syndrome during lactation.
- If microbial agents cause deep breast pain, this study highlights a significant role for bacteria in its pathogenesis.