Can Lyme disease pass through breast milk?

Can Lyme disease pass through breast milk?

Can Lyme disease be transmitted through breast milk? There are no reports of Lyme disease being spread to infants through breast milk.

Who is at high risk for Lyme disease?

Lyme disease can affect people of any age. People who spend time outdoors in activities such as camping, hiking, golfing, or working or playing in grassy and wooded environments are at increased risk of exposure. The chances of being bitten by a deer tick are greater during times of the year when ticks are most active.

How do you avoid Lyme disease?

You can decrease your risk of getting Lyme disease with some simple precautions:

  1. Cover up.
  2. Use insect repellents.
  3. Do your best to tick-proof your yard.
  4. Check your clothing, yourself, your children and your pets for ticks.
  5. Don’t assume you’re immune.
  6. Remove a tick as soon as possible with tweezers.

Can a baby be infected with Lyme disease?

Sign up for Scientific American ’s free newsletters. Transmission of the disease from mother to baby is a different issue. And the research noted that the placenta can become infected and cases of miscarriage have resulted from Lyme.

What to do if you are pregnant with Lyme disease?

Ideally, attempts for pregnancy should be deferred until Lyme disease symptoms have subsided. For a pregnancy complicated by Lyme disease, the mother should undergo antibiotic treatment, especially for acute Lyme disease — but always under a doctor’s supervision. Tetracyclines, including doxycycline, should be avoided during pregnancy.

How did the woman get Lyme disease from her mother?

The 26-year-old Pilates instructor in Charlottesville, Va., who had all her life suffered from poor memory and anxiety, received a text message from her mother, who had just been diagnosed with Lyme disease, suggesting that she be tested for the disease. “That was definitely bizarre,” Donnelly recalls. But it turned out to be wise advice.

Can a person get Lyme disease from another person?

The official word from experts is that Borrelia burgdorferi, the microbe commonly associated with Lyme disease, cannot be spread sexually.