Blood-stained maternal milk: prevalence, characteristics and counselling.
Blood-stained maternal milk at delivery and during lactation was prospectively studied in 7774 livebirths over a period of 2 years (1986-1988). Eight mothers had this atypical breast discharge, a prevalence rate of 1:971 livebirths (0.1%). The characteristics of this phenomenon were: early appearance (frequently a short time after delivery), with normal bacteriologic and cytologic investigations, disappearance in 2 to 5 days, without adverse effects on the mothers and their babies, no recurrence after cessation, and occurrence in the previous pregnancies (3 of the 5 multipara). As a result, the best policy is to reassure the parents about the benign and transient course of this condition and to recommend continuation of breast feeding.
Merlob
P
P
Department of Neonatology, Beilinson Medical Center, Petah Tiqva, Israel.
Aloni
R
R
Prager
H
H
Mor
N
N
Litwin
A
A
D001769:Blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007774:Lactation; D008895:Milk, Human; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies