Breastfeeding and Medical Disease

Breastfeeding is an important opportunity for both mother and infant. There are nutritional, immunologic, infection protection, and psychological reasons to preserve lactation when illness intervenes. The internist will have patients with acute self-limited disease who are breastfeeding and patients with chronic long-term illness who wish to breastfeed their infants. The internist will need to consider the breastfeeding and the infant when planning treatment. The risk of treatment to the infant versus the great benefits of breastfeeding in most cases will support continuing breastfeeding. This article discusses the key considerations in managing the lactating woman with an illness.