Breastfeeding and Staphylococcus aureus: three case reports.

This paper presents three case reports of breastfeeding women with Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) infections. The first case is a woman who developed recurrent staphylococcal skin infections, misdiagnosed as a fungal infection by her caregivers. The second case is a woman who experienced recurrent mastitis following a severe wound infection in her caesarean section scar; both she and her baby were carriers of S. aureus. The third case is a woman who experienced mastitis and a breast abscess, while her baby and other members of the family developed recurrent boils and skin infections with a methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). A wide range of staphylococcal infections may occur in the postpartum period: mastitis, abscess, caesarean scar infection, boils and skin infection. Some cases of recurrent infections may be related to nasal carriage in mother or infant. Microscopy can be useful in differentiating bacterial infections from fungal infections and confirming nasal carriage. When mothers or infants are nasal carriers of Staphylococci health professionals may recommend nasal mupirocin (Bactroban) and bathing with antiseptic washes to reduce recurrent staphylococcal infections.