Contraindications to breastfeeding are those conditions that could compromise the health of the infant if breast milk from their mother is consumed. Examples include

galactosemia Galactosemia (British galactosaemia, from Greek γαλακτόζη + αίμα, meaning galactose + blood, accumulation of galactose in blood) is a rare genetic metabolic disorder that affects an individual's ability to metabolize the sugar galacto ...

, untreated

HIV The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of '' Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immu ...

, untreated active

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in w ...

Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 or human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV-I), also called the adult T-cell lymphoma virus type 1, is a retrovirus of the human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV) family that has been implicated in several kinds of diseas ...

or II, uses

illicit drugs The prohibition of drugs through sumptuary legislation or religious law is a common means of attempting to prevent the recreational use of certain intoxicating substances. While some drugs are illegal to possess, many governments regulate th ...

, or mothers undergoing

chemotherapy Chemotherapy (often abbreviated to chemo and sometimes CTX or CTx) is a type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs (chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) as part of a standardized chemotherapy regimen. Chemothe ...

radiation treatment Radiation therapy or radiotherapy, often abbreviated RT, RTx, or XRT, is a therapy using ionizing radiation, generally provided as part of cancer treatment to control or kill malignant cells and normally delivered by a linear accelerator. Radi ...

. Breastfeeding contraindication are situations where the mother has conditions such as an addiction or disease that would make it harmful to the baby, should the baby be breastfed. Breast milk contains many nutrients that formulas in store shelves do not have which makes breast feeding a healthier and ideal way to feed an infant. /sup>

Contraindications

Antenatal contraindications:SLCP Peadiatric Guidelines * Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia * Oesophageal atresia/ tracheo-oesophageal fistula * Intestinal obstruction * Imperforate anus * Gastroschisi/omphalocele *Most Important - Galactosemia Maternal contraindications: * Mother on chemotherapy or recent/current use of radioactive agents * Mother with human T-cell lymphotrophic viral infection, untreated brucellosis * Mother having untreated (not yet sputum negative) open tuberculosis (but is still expressing breast milk and can feed) * Alcohol consumption * Drug Addiction * Mother with suspected or untreated HIV. Most Important - Galactosemia

T cell lymphotropic virus type 1 and 2

An individual with T cell lymphotropic virus type 1 and 2 will have excessive amounts of

T-cell leukemia T-cell leukemia describes several different types of lymphoid leukemia which affect T cells. Types include: * Large granular lymphocytic leukemia Large granular lymphocytic (LGL) leukemia is a chronic lymphoproliferative disorder that exhibits ...

and HTLV-1. This often happens through the spread of needles and can affect anyone at any age. If a mother contains this virus and is not aware of it the spread to her infant can be at an all time high of 25%. There is currently no antivirals a mother can take to decrease the spread which is why breastfeeding is not recommended.

Alcohol

Alcohol intake can also pose a threat to an infant, the fat content in your breast can cause toxins from alcohol to build up. It is advised that mothers only limit their drinking to one or two drinks a week so the spread of toxins does not reach the breast. If a mother is binge drinking while breastfeeding and the toxins spread to the infant; there will be a risk of slow weight gain for the infant.

References

{{Reproductive physiology Breastfeeding Human female endocrine system