Breast milk and breast-feeding do not contribute to passing illnesses between the mother and baby with only a few exceptions. When an infection directly impacts the breast tissues, such as the nipple and surrounding skin, the baby can contract the illness. Blisters on the nipples or breast are never normal and should be examined by a medical professional.
Blistering
Depending on the cause, blisters can appear like white bumps, clear, fluid-filled sacs, red bumps or a variation of these typical blisters. Sometimes blisters can be accompanied by itching, burning, bleeding or oozing. None of these situations is normal in breast-feeding.
Feeding Baby
When blisters occur, the baby should not be fed on that breast or both if they both are impacted. Pumping milk and feeding to baby is also not advised until the cause of the blisters is known. Fluids secreted by the blisters can contaminate the milk. If the baby has been fed on a breast affected by blistering, consult with a health care professional as the baby may require treatment depending on the cause.
Thrush
Rarely, a yeast infection called thrush can cause blisters on the breast. These will appear red and can be flat or bumpy. Thrush is a common infection that can be passed from mother to baby and back again. This infection causes pink or red nipple and breast tissue, itching, burning or red or white lesions in the infant's mouth. Treatment consists of an antifungal medication and cleansing of contaminated materials to prevent reinfection. Thrush is not a serious infection but it can be bothersome for mother and baby. Fungi naturally exist in the mouth and even on the breast tissues. When these areas are allowed to remain damp for extended periods, something that occurs naturally with breast-feeding, the fungi can grow too rapidly and cause symptoms of an infection.
Herpes
A mother with genital or oral herpes doesn't typically pass the virus to the baby just by breast-feeding. The herpes virus can infect nearly any tissue on the body if it is allowed to penetrate the skin, such as by an open wound. It is possible for the tissues of the breast to contract herpes and develop blisters. Herpes begins with tingling, itching and sometimes burning at the site of the infection. Within a few days a red blister will form. Over the next few days the fluid-filled blister will burst, ooze and crust over. During all of these periods the virus can be passed to the baby if he is breast-fed and can contaminate expressed breast milk. A mother with herpes can safely breast-feed her baby if she does so under the advice of a lactation or health professional. She may be given medication to suppress herpes outbreaks.
