As of any other infectious disease like HIV, is there any new breast feeding recommendation and guideline applicable in EBOLA epidemic areas?
1. Ebola remains in body fluid for longer duration including breast milk and semen.
2. Mother suffering from Ebola will be too sick to feed baby during their illness.
1. I am not aware of any recommendations. However....
2. It is now known that Ebola remains in body fluids such as breast milk and semen for longer duration .
3. I suppose mothers suffering from Ebola will not be in condition to feed babies in later part of their infections.
4. What will happen in early incubation period? and how to detect it? Its is a real challenge..
Dear Zelalem:
The infant should be isolated and he/she should not feed by breast milk ,so the virus sheds by all body fluids for a long time, sometimes for 2 months .It is better, we do this recommendation for at least 2 months(Sex contact can infect partner for 2 months after illness). But ,It needs to more researches
I thank you for your answer,but is there a guideline already in use?
These are the most recent recommendations from CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/hcp/recommendations-breastfeeding-infant-feeding-ebola.html
I would also assume that previously hard-hit countries in central Africa would have breastfeeding guidelines in the context of Ebola.
The guideline is clear on isolation of infected person(the mother). Quarantine of close contact, in this case (the baby). It is clear that Ebola virus is in body fluid including breast milk. Breast feeding whether patient is too ill or not is out of the question. The only grey area is interval required for recommencing breastfeeding by a convalescent mother. As for resumption of unprotected sexual activity to be about three months, probably this would be equal to three months but theoretically may be less than three months.
Hi Zelalem it is quite clear that ebola virus disease remain in the body fluids about three months especially in the seminal fluid for this reason it is not recommended to resume breast feeding to babies from infected mothers before the elapse of not less than three months after recovery .
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