Is it possible to breastfeed with papilloma on the nipple?



Is it possible to breastfeed if there is HPV on the nipple?

The content of the article:
  1. What is the danger of papillomas on the nipples?
  2. Is it possible to breastfeed a baby?
  3. How to remove papillomas

Papilloma on the halo during feeding is a pathological growth of epithelial tissue of the nipple caused by human papillomavirus infection. Often, growths on the nipples appear precisely during pregnancy, since at this time women undergo hormonal changes in the body and this becomes a “impetus” for the development of HPV.

What is the danger of papillomas on the nipples?



Mammary cancer

The papilloma virus is quite insidious. He can remain passive in a woman’s body for many years and not express himself in any way. However, once it gets into the blood, it will not leave the body. To date, there is no such effective treatment that can eliminate HPV from the blood.

With accompanying factors, the pathogen can become more active and lead to the appearance of benign neoplasms on the body - papillomas. As a rule, growths on the nipples are caused by a virus of a non-oncogenic strain. It means that the risk of degeneration into malignant tumors is quite small.

Pregnancy and childbirth are factors favorable for the activation of HPV. Firstly, during bearing and feeding a child, a woman’s hormonal levels are completely restructured. Secondly, many of them experience severe stress, which also stimulates the papillomavirus. Thirdly, the overall immune response of the woman’s body may decrease slightly. All of the above are excellent conditions for the development of human papillomavirus infection and the formation of growths on the nipples.

Many women are interested in the danger of papillomas on the halo while feeding the baby. There are various risks:

  1. If the papilloma is large, then it can come off while the baby is breastfeeding.
  2. Underwear can also rub or put pressure on the tumor and injure it.
  3. Constant mechanical impact on the papilloma due to breastfeeding can lead to quite severe bleeding.
  4. With regular traumatic impact on the papilloma, its malignancy and degeneration into a malignant tumor can occur.



Infection of a child with HPV

In addition, there is a risk for the child. It is known that HPV is transmitted through contact between a healthy person and a sick person. Papillomas contain a high concentration of the virus, which, upon contact with the baby’s mucous membrane, can easily penetrate the baby’s body.

  1. Read also: the dangers of warts on the chest

Is it possible to breastfeed a child with papilloma on the nipple?



Breastfeeding

To date, doctors have not come to a final decision regarding whether it is possible to breastfeed with papilloma on the nipple. Some believe that breastfeeding is necessary for the baby and the benefits outweigh the possible risks of infection for the baby.

Other experts are confident that feeding with papillomas on the nipples is only possible if milk is expressed. Thus, when feeding breast milk from a bottle, the baby receives all the beneficial substances of the mother's product and is more protected from viral infection.

The doctor must decide whether it is possible to breastfeed with papilloma on the nipple, after weighing all the pros and cons.

It should be noted that during pregnancy, as a rule, treatment for papillomas is not prescribed, except in extreme cases, when there is a risk to the woman’s life and there is no time to delay. Therefore, in most cases, the process of treating neoplasms is postponed until the postpartum period.

How to remove papillomas on the nipples while breastfeeding?



Removal of papillomas on the nipples during breastfeeding

If the growth on the nipple is large, often injured and prone to inflammation, it should be removed immediately after pregnancy, during lactation. Removal of tumors during this period does not mean that a woman should give up breastfeeding.

Modern minimally invasive and non-traumatic methods of destruction of papillomas can reduce the period of tissue regeneration to several days. This means that within a few days after removal of the papilloma on the nipple, breastfeeding can be resumed. It is not recommended to put the baby to the mammary glands while tissue integrity is restored; you will have to express the milk so that it does not stagnate and feed the baby from a bottle.

The most painless and non-traumatic ways to physically remove papillomas from the nipples when feeding a baby:

  1. Laser coagulation. The laser beam quickly and painlessly excises papillomas of any size. Does not cause bleeding or scar formation. Wounds after such an operation heal quickly. The cost of laser removal of papillomas is 1450-2400 rubles in Russia and 350-750 hryvnia in Ukraine.
  2. Diathermocoagulation. Removal of papillomas during breastfeeding using high frequency current. Copes well with thread-like growths on the nipples. The price of such a procedure is 1200-2400 rubles in Russia and 300-600 hryvnia in Ukraine.
  3. Radio wave excision. One of the most non-traumatic and safe ways to eliminate unwanted growths on the nipples. Acts directly on the site where the papilloma attaches to the skin. The price of radiosurgical removal of papillomas on the halo during feeding is 2400-3500 rubles in Russia and 650-1300 hryvnia in Ukraine.
  4. Cryoremoval. The growth is exposed to liquid nitrogen. This technique is very helpful in removing flat tumors. The cost of such a procedure is 650-1700 rubles in Russia and 270-450 hryvnia in Ukraine.

You can also influence papillomas on the halo during feeding using a number of medications. However, they should be prescribed exclusively by a specialist who will assess all the risks for the baby. As a rule, mild immunomodulators and multivitamin complexes can be prescribed. These drugs will help strengthen the immune system and strengthen the body's protective functions. Thus, the fight against the pathogen will be waged on all fronts. This guarantees a quick and effective cure for the disease.

It should be remembered that self-medication of papillomas both during pregnancy and during breastfeeding is not permissible. To protect yourself from the appearance of papillomas on the halo during feeding, you should take a course of vitamins in advance and strengthen the body as much as possible in order to prevent the papillomavirus from becoming more active and leading to the formation of growths on the chest.

  1. Related article: Which doctor should I contact for papillomas?