Can a mother infected with chicken pox still breastfeed her baby?

Question

If a mother is infected with the chicken pox virus, can she safely continue to provide breast milk to her one-month-old baby through a bottle?

Answer 1

The amount and type of antibodies passed to the baby depends on the mother's immunity. If the mother has had chickenpox, she will have developed immunity against the condition and some of the chickenpox antibodies will be passed to the baby. However, if the mother hasn't had chickenpox, the baby will not be protected.