Is STD Transmittable To Babies Through Breastfeeding?

STDs are most often looked at in the context of transmitting from one adult to another. And just as we have talked about the consequences of STDs in pregnancy, it is also possible that an STD can be transmitted from a mother to her child.

One example of this is congenital syphilis, which is transmittable during pregnancy and childbirth. However, the question many mothers may ask is if it is possible for STDs to be passed on during breastfeeding. In this article, we will explore the truth and how you can pass common STDs to your child during breastfeeding.

STDs that can be transmitted through breastfeeding

Do you know that one out of three HIV-positive children in developing nations get infected while being breastfed? While this phenomenon is less likely to happen in well-developed nations, HIV can be transmitted through breastfeeding.

With that being said, the risk of transmitting STDs depends on several factors.

A mother who is undergoing antiretroviral therapy and has an undetectable viral load will carry a much lower risk of transmitting HIV than one who has not undergone an HIV test and does not know her status.

Antiretroviral therapy can help to reduce the viral presence in bodily fluids significantly, allowing doctors to make sufficient recommendations regarding breastfeeding. It is generally well-advised not to breastfeed despite undergoing antiretroviral therapy so as to eliminate the risk of transmission completely. However, when one does not even know her status, the risk is even higher.

The herpes simplex virus (HSV) is another STD that can be transmitted during breastfeeding. While HSV cannot be transmitted through the breast milk itself, the presence of small open wounds or sores at the nipples will increase the risk of transmission. Any mothers who have breastfed before know that open wounds or sores at the nipples are unavoidable during the initial stages of breastfeeding.

Syphilis is also transmitted in similar ways. Contact with open wounds or sores boosts the risk of transmission. Breastfeeding creates the opportunity for that to happen, infecting the baby.

Taking STD medications while breastfeeding

Most pregnant mums are usually tested for common STDs, such as hepatitis B, HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhoea, and syphilis, because they can increase foetal risks. Therefore, unless the mother has developed an unknown disease, most pregnancy screening panels will only identify the common STDs.

Whenever prescription-grade medications are needed, healthcare providers will always measure the risk for both mother and child. Most pharmaceutical products can be excreted in breast milk. Hence, as far as possible, doctors will aim to seek solutions that require the mildest medication strength.

STDs, as a result of a bacterial infection, can easily be treated with antibiotics, and there are those that are suitable during breastfeeding. Antiretroviral medications used to treat HIV are also breastfeed-compatible as long as the viral load is undetectable and poses no risk to the baby. In fact, some doctors will also prescribe the medication to the baby to reduce all possibilities of the mother passing on the virus.

It is vital to note that an undetectable viral load does not mean that the risk of transmission is zero. There is still about a 1% chance of transmission via breastfeeding.

Conducting STD tests before, during, and after pregnancy

STDs are capable of impacting multiple lives in a negative manner. When it comes to innocent new lives, the importance of reliable protection is even more imperative. Conducting STD tests is the only way to determine the possibility of an STD accurately.

The danger of STDs is that many of them pose little to no symptoms for up to years, increasing the risk of transmission unknowingly. Hence, if you and your partner have plans to get pregnant, screening for STDs should be the thing to do first.

Fortunately, tests for most common STDs are readily available in Singapore. STD clinics, such as Elyon Clinic, offer extensive STD testing and treatment packages. If you and your partner are considering trying out for a child in the near future, do contact us to make an appointment. This is equally, if not more important, for individuals with multiple partners or who suspect they are pregnant.