Common Concerns and Problems 117
Breast infection (mastitis with infection)
If you have had signs of mastitis with no improvement after
24 hours, or severe pain, or a crack in the skin where germs can
enter, you must get treatment for breast infection right away.
Treatment:
The most important part of treatment is to continue
breastfeeding often. Your milk is still safe for the baby. Medicines
and rest are necessary too. If you can, take time off from work
and get help with your household work. Also follow the treatment
for blocked duct and mastitis. If needed to keep the milk flowing,
you can milk your breast by hand or use the warm bottle method.
Warm, wet cloths can
help with blocked
ducts or mastitis.
Medicine
Medicine for Breast Infection
How much to take When and how to take
For infection take:
dicloxicillin
500 mg
If you cannot find this or are
allergic to penicillin, take:
er ythromycin
500 mg
4 times a day for 7 days.
4 times a day for 7 days.
Before taking medicines, see the “Green Pages.”
For fever and pain, take:
paracetamol (acetaminophen) 500 to 1000 mg or aspirin until the pain goes away (see pages 511 and 492).
IMPORTANT If a breast infection is not treated early, it will get worse. The hot and painful swelling
will feel as if it is filled with liquid (abscess). If this happens, follow the treatment described here AND see a
health worker who has been trained to drain an abscess using sterile equipment.
Thrush (yeast)
If you are holding the baby so it is comfortable and
feeding well, and the pain in your nipples lasts for more
than a week, it may be caused by thrush in the baby’s
mouth. Thrush can feel like an itchy, stabbing or burning
pain, moving through the breast. You may see white
spots or redness on your nipple and in the baby’s mouth.
Treatment:
Mix gentian violet with clean water to a strength of
0.25% and paint on the nipples and on the white patches
in the baby’s mouth once every day for 5 days, or until 3
days after healing is complete. Use a clean cloth or finger
to apply. If it does not get better, see the “Green Pages”
for other medicines. You can continue to breastfeed. The
medicine will not hurt you, your milk or the baby.
How to mix gentian
violet with clean water
to make a 0.25%
solution:
If your
gentian violet
says...
Use
0.5% 1 part gentian violet
plus 1 part water
1% 1 part gentian violet
plus 3 parts water
2% 1 part gentian violet
plus 7 parts water
Where Women Have No Doctor 2012