Can a mother breastfeed her baby if she has a fever? This question is often asked by mothers. Did a search. I saw two websites that gave the answer: stop breastfeeding above 38 degrees. Is there a basis for this? 1, fever itself is not contagious Fever itself is not a disease, but a symptom. Many diseases can cause a fever, usually infectious diseases. When viruses or bacteria that make people sick, etc. invade the body, the liver releases pyrogens, making the body temperature rise. Fever is one of the body’s mechanisms for fighting infection. It is an effective immune response, a natural process that triggers the body’s immune system to fight off invaders. Therefore, fever itself is not an infection and will not be transmitted through breastfeeding! 2, fever will not make the milk deteriorate The second question of the mother is, will the milk be hot and bad? The mammary glands secrete milk and belong to the glands. If the fever reaches 40 degrees, the milk becomes hot and spoiled. Then the gastric juice secreted by the stomach gland, thyroid hormone secreted by the thyroid gland, tear fluid secreted by the lacrimal gland, saliva secreted by the salivary gland and bile secreted by the liver will become rancid and rancid, which is a life-threatening matter. But, is this possible? One website mentions that the reason why breastfeeding is not recommended above 38 degrees is because “it is a sign of a serious illness and should be treated first”. This is not evidence-based. The temperature is not indicative of the severity of the illness, and sometimes a low fever can be the result of a very serious illness. We know better, many serious diseases may not be feverish at all. 3, mother’s illness and breastfeeding If it is worried about the contagiousness of the disease that caused the fever, the U.S. child nutrition program WIC in the “Myths and Facts About Breastfeeding” to the mother’s answer is this: If the mother is sick, then her child has been exposed to pathogenic bacteria. And her breast milk can give the child antibodies. If the child is sick, the milk can make him less sick. Mothers can breastfeed during colds and flu. If the mother has AIDS, active and untreated tuberculosis or human T-cell virus type I, then breastfeeding should be stopped. In the meantime, most over-the-counter and prescription medications are safe to use while breastfeeding. Usually fevers are caused by bacterial, viral, etc. infections, and long before you develop symptoms (fever, runny nose, cough, etc.), your child is already exposed to such an environment. Then, the mother’s body is continuously producing antibodies against these pathogens. So, often the breastfed child will be the only one in the family who does not get the disease, or has the least symptoms. Usually these viruses are spread by air or contact, so what moms should do is wash their hands frequently, avoid facial contact and sneeze at your child. If you are concerned about whether you can breastfeed with mastitis, the World Health Organization discusses the safety of continued breastfeeding in Mastitis: Causes and Treatment, page 31 – page 32. The text states that maintaining breastfeeding is important for both the recovery of women with mastitis or breast abscesses and the health of their babies. Numerous studies have shown that continued breastfeeding is basically safe for the infant, even in the presence of Staphylococcus aureus, and that breastfeeding needs to be stopped only if the mother is also HIV-positive. Forced weaning during illness is not only a challenge for the baby, but also a physical and psychological strain on the mother, and the increase in milk caused by not being able to breastfeed is enough to make it more difficult for the sick mother.