Can I breastfeed if I have hepatitis B?

Everyone knows that hepatitis B is highly contagious and hereditary, so when a woman has hepatitis B, she should be cautious during pregnancy. During pregnancy, the doctor will give the woman an injection, which is mainly used to prevent the child from having hepatitis B, and the vaccine should be given immediately after birth. So can a child with hepatitis B be treated with breast milk?

Generally, babies will be injected with hepatitis B immunoglobulin and hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth. Even if the mother has hepatitis B virus (HBV), she can still breastfeed. Mothers with hepatitis B need to wash their hands before breastfeeding and avoid feeding the baby mouth-to-mouth. If the baby already has oral ulcers, then breastfeeding should not be carried out at this time. Also, if the nipples are cracked, you should stop breastfeeding.

Hepatitis B is a worldwide disease caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). The incidence rate is high in developing countries. According to statistics, there are about 350 million people in the world who are positive for hepatitis B surface antigen, of which about 120 million are in China. In addition, nearly 1/4 of hepatitis B in the country is caused by mother-to-child transmission. Therefore, it has long been generally believed that mothers with hepatitis B cannot breastfeed their babies. However, we know that breast milk is the most ideal nutritious food and drink for babies. It contains all the nutrients needed for the growth and development of babies from 4 to 6 months old, and is suitable for digestion and absorption by the baby's stomach.

Precautions for breastfeeding of mothers with hepatitis B

1. Mothers with high serum viral load and in the active stage of the disease should not breastfeed.

2. Since the hepatitis B virus is mainly transmitted through the blood, if there are damages or ulcers in the baby's mouth, throat, esophagus, gastrointestinal mucosa, etc., the hepatitis B virus in the breast milk will enter the blood circulation and may induce hepatitis B virus infection.

3. Mothers with ruptured nipples should also temporarily stop breastfeeding.

4. Mothers who are receiving nucleoside analogue antiviral treatment cannot breastfeed because the drugs can be excreted in breast milk.

Now you should know whether mothers with Hepatitis B can breastfeed. In fact, it is completely possible. When mothers with Hepatitis B breastfeed their babies, there are some things they need to know. For example, during the active period of the disease, you should not breastfeed. If the nipple is ruptured, you should also stop breastfeeding. If you are receiving antiviral drug treatment, you should also stop.