Breastfeeding: Baby developed a cold sore
My two-month-old baby has developed a cold sore. Is it safe to continue nursing?
Question:Debbi Donovan
Debbi Donovan is a Board Certified Lactation Consultant, as well as a retired La Leche League Leader. For more than a decade, Debbi... Read more
If your baby has a cold sore in or around his mouth, and you have continued nursing, you have already been exposed.
If by chance, you developed a herpes lesion on your breast, it would need to be cultured by your Health Care Provider to be certain of the diagnosis. Prompt treatment with acyclovir reduces the time the virus is actually present in the sores, speeds the healing, lessens the discomfort, and reduces your chance of a repeat occurrence.
Theoretically, your baby could transmit the herpes virus from a cold sore on his mouth to your breast. The virus is spread through contact with the sores. In reality, I have heard of only one reported case of transmission of herpes from a nursing toddler to a mother (Sealander, 1989.) Most likely, original transmission of the Herpes Simplex Virus, Type l, is from mom to baby.
In correspondence with Chris Hafner-Eaton, PhD, MPH, CHES, IBCLC, I found that for the Herpes Simplex Virus, Type l "nearly 95 percent of adults test positive (worldwide it's 90 percent). Type l can be of the mouth "cold sore" variety OR on other body parts, including the genitals, but it is still Type l, even there. Genital Herpes (Type II) is USUALLY located in the genital area. Type II prevalence is 20 percent overall in the US adult population...It is VERY unlikely that this is Type II." For citations see Benenson, AS (ed). Control of Communicable Diseases in Man, 1994. American Public Health Association.
I need to point out that if you have herpes and develop a lesion on or near your breast while nursing, it is extremely important to contact your Health Care Provider immediately. Herpes can be fatal in the newborn and may be dangerous even for older babies. It is important for your baby not to be in contact with any lesions. If the lesion is in a place where it can be covered, breastfeeding can continue. Regular and thorough hand washing is especially important during a herpes outbreak.
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