What is the recommended frequency of breastfeeding in a patient with a breast abscess?

From the Guidelines

In cases of breast abscess, frequent breastfeeding or milk expression should continue, ideally every 2-3 hours, including from the affected breast. Direct recommendation:

• Continue breastfeeding or expressing milk from both breasts every 2-3 hours, even from the affected breast with the abscess, as supported by the American Academy of Pediatrics 1.
• If direct breastfeeding is too painful, use a breast pump to express milk from the affected breast. Additional information:
• Before feeding or pumping, apply a warm compress to the affected area for 10-15 minutes to promote milk flow and comfort.
• After feeding or pumping, ice the area for 10-15 minutes to reduce swelling and pain.
• Take pain medication as needed, such as ibuprofen 400-600 mg every 6-8 hours or acetaminophen 500-1000 mg every 4-6 hours.
• Ensure proper breast emptying to prevent milk stasis and further complications. Justification: Frequent milk removal helps maintain milk supply, prevents milk stasis, and aids in healing. Continued breastfeeding does not pose a risk to the infant, as breast milk contains antibodies that protect the baby. Regular milk removal also helps drain the abscess and can prevent the need for surgical intervention in some cases. Keeping the milk flowing reduces the risk of the infection spreading or worsening. The benefits of breastfeeding for both the mother and the infant, including reduced risk of various diseases and conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and certain types of cancer, are well-established 1.

From the Research

Breastfeeding Frequency with Breast Abscess

There are no research papers provided that directly address the recommended frequency of breastfeeding in a patient with a breast abscess.

General Breastfeeding Recommendations

• The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for about 6 months, followed by continued breastfeeding as complementary foods are introduced, with continuation of breastfeeding for 1 year or longer as mutually desired by mother and infant 2.
• Breastfeeding and human milk are the normative standards for infant feeding and nutrition, with documented short- and long-term medical and neurodevelopmental advantages 2.
• The frequency of breastfeeding exclusively according to needs at 2-6 days following delivery was about 62%, and at the end of the infants' second month of life, only 46.7% of the infants were breast-fed at least 7 times 3.

Breastfeeding and Infections

• The duration of breastfeeding was associated with a decreased number of hospitalizations due to infection, especially within the first year of life, for lower respiratory tract infections, and other infections 4.
• Exclusive breastfeeding was found to have a stronger association with reduced hospitalizations due to infection compared to any breastfeeding 4.

Pain Relief through Breastfeeding

• Breastfeeding may reduce the increase in heart rate, duration of crying, and pain scores in neonates undergoing painful procedures compared to no intervention or other measures 5.
• Supplemental breast milk may also reduce pain in neonates, although the evidence is of low certainty 5.