title: Rusty pipe syndrome: counselling a key intervention.
abstract: Presence of blood in the breastmilk renders a rusty or brownish colour to it; this entity is known as "rusty pipe syndrome". Although this is a self-limiting condition, it can be particularly intimidating for mothers and may act as a psychological barrier to successful breastfeeding. We describe this entity in two mothers who had spontaneous blood-stained breastmilk from both breasts in the early post-partum period and were worried about feeding their infants. Subsequent to proper counselling with the use of skills like active listening, accepting their concerns, building confidence by providing relevant information in simple language and by giving suggestions and avoiding commands, both mothers were able to successfully breastfeed their offspring.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, University College of Medical Sciences and Guru Tegh Bahadur Hospital, Delhi 110095 India.
authors.forename: M M A
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Faridi
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, University College of Medical Sciences and Guru Tegh Bahadur Hospital, Delhi 110095 India.
authors.forename: Pooja
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dewan
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, University College of Medical Sciences and Guru Tegh Bahadur Hospital, Delhi 110095 India.
authors.forename: Prerna
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Batra
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000517:prevention & control; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000523:psychology*; D003376:Counseling / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007775:Lactation Disorders / Q000097:blood* / Q000523:psychology*; D008895:Milk, Human; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000193:education* / Q000523:psychology; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000502:physiology*; D013577:Syndrome; D055815:Young Adult