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  • Lyme Research

    Hello, I am a PPLC in Central FL. Diagnosed Lyme Disease 16 yrs ago. I know Dr. Hale has recent research regarding LD and Breastfeeding. Please share any info. As an Allied HCP, I still receive such conflicting info. Very frustrating!

    I did breastfeed and, at at time addressed my concerns with Dr. Ruth Lawrence. I know there has been additional research since.

    Thank you.

  • #2
    Dear MotherCare,

    Dr Hale states: Lyme disease is caused by infection with the spirochete, borrelia burgdorferi. This spirochete is transferred in-utero to the fetus. Antigenic material from the spirochete is found in human milk, although we do not know if it is infectious. If diagnosed postpartum or in a breastfeeding mother, the mother should be treated immediately. Although doxycycline therapy is not definitely contraindicated in breastfeeding mothers, alternates such as amoxicillin, cefuroxime, clarithromycin, or azithromycin should be preferred. Because the spirochete antigen has been found in breast milk, breastfeeding should be withheld until treatment with an appropriate antibiotic is instituted. Once treatment is initiated, breastfeeding may be resumed. I would also recommend the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website. Their website has good information on Lyme Disease. The CDC website is [url]www.cdc.gov/lyme[/url]. Hope this information is helpful.

    Sincerely,
    Cindy Pride, MSN, CPNP
    TTUHSC InfantRisk Center

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    • #3
      Thank you for your prompt reply. Can you refer me to where, and to whom (lab?) found it in human milk? I thought at Rhode Island University the spirochete antigen wasn't able to survive in human milk.

      To my knowledge there aren't labs that will test human milk and to date no studies have been done. While they can, they won't. Correct?

      I now have a primigravida, 36 wks that was diagnosed 1-2 yrs ago and has completed treatment. She is very uneasy about the decision to breastfeed. I am doing my best to provide Evidence- Based info to both her and her doctors.

      Personally, I understand how confusing the research, or lack of, is. While I chose to continue to breastfeed my son, the situation was different. We made the best informed decision we could with what was availabe (speaking directly to Dr. Lawrence). There wasn't any research to say I would be
      transmitting to my son. He was 3 yrs by the time I was properly diagnosed (by symptoms only) which was 4 weeks after I was bit.

      Thank you all for all you do.

      Much appreciated,
      KLW

      Comment


      • #4
        Dear MotherCare,

        The following are the references from Dr. Hale's 2012 Medications and Mothers Milk on Lyme Disease. Reference number four is the one that talks about the antigenic material found in human milk. Hope this is helpful.

        1. Bhate C, Schwartz RA: Lyme disease: Part I. Advances and perspectives. J Am Acad Dermatol 2011, 64(4):619-636; quiz 637-618.
        2. AAP CoID: Lyme Disease (Lyme Borreliosis, Borrelia burgdorferi Infection). In: Red Book: 2009 Report of the Committee on Infectious diseases. Edited by Pickering LK BC, Kimberlin DW, Long SS, 28 edn; 2009: 430-435.
        3. Stiernstedt G. Lyme borreliosis during pregnancy. Scand J Infect Dis Suppl 1990; 71:99-100
        4. Schmidt BL, Aberer E, Stockenhuber C, Klade H, Breier F, Luger A. Detection of Borrelia burgdorferi DNA by polymerase chain reaction in the urine and breast milk of patients with Lyme borreliosis. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis 1995; 21(3):121-128.
        5. Bartlett JG. In: Pocket Book of Infectious Disease Therapy. Baltimore, USA: Williams and Wilkins, 1996.
        6. Nelson JD. In: Pocket Book of Pediatric Antimicrobial Therapy. Baltimore, USA: Williams and Wilkins, 1995.

        Sincerely,
        Cindy Pride, MSN, CPNP
        TTUHSC InfantRisk Center

        Comment


        • #5
          Breastfeeding Research

          Cpride,

          I, too, thought that Dr. Hale was going to do further testing with breastfeeding and Lyme. I have an email from him from April 2011 that states just that. He writes:

          "Blessing:

          I indeed want to study this [breastfeeding and Lyme] problem, but we are in the process of setting up a number of research projects. So it will be a few months before I can work on Lyme disease."


          It has been well over a few months. What is the status of that?

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          • #6
            Hello, I am a PPLC in Central FL. Diagnosed Lyme Disease 16 yrs ago. I know Dr. Hale has recent research regarding LD and Breastfeeding. Please share any info. As an Allied HCP, I still receive such conflicting info. Very frustrating!

            Comment


            • #7
              Unfortunately, the Lyme Disease study never panned out. We don't know anything more than what Cindy quoted earlier in this thread.

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