TABLE 5–9.
Infectious Agents Transmitted through Breast-Feeding
| Organism | Transmission | Disease | Intervention |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cytomegalovirus | + | VLBW infants | Consider risk/benefit |
| Hepatitis B virus | + | + | HBIG/hepatitis B vaccine |
| Hepatitis C virus | HIV+ mothers only | ? | See text |
| Herpes simplex virus | + | + | See text |
| HIV | + | + | U.S.: Do not breastfeed* |
| HTLV-1 | + | ± | U.S.: Do not breastfeed* |
| HTLV-2 | + | ± | U.S.: Do not breastfeed* |
| Rubella virus | + | 0 | None |
| West Nile virus | ± | ± | None |
| Group B streptococci | + | ± | See text |
| Staphylococcus aureus | + | ± | See text |
| Mycobacterium tuberculosis | + | − | See text |
HBIG, hepatitis B immunoglobulin; HIV, human immunodeficiency virus; HTLV, human T-lymphotropic virus; VLBW, very low birth weight.
*
In many other parts of the world, the benefits of breast-feeding often outweigh the risks of alternative methods of infant feeding. See text for discussion of risk versus benefit in other parts of the world.