Ace the Certified Lactation Consultant Exam 2026 – Nurture Your Career with Confidence!

If a mother is suspected or confirmed to have Ebola, the recommendation is to avoid breastfeeding or feeding at the breast. This is primarily due to the potential for transmission of the Ebola virus through bodily fluids, which can include breast milk. The virus can be present in high quantities in the blood and secretions of an infected individual, and breastfeeding could pose a risk of transferring the virus to the infant.

While expressed breast milk may theoretically be less risky since it is not delivered directly from the breast, the concern revolves around the possibility of contaminating the milk during the expression process and the fact that the virus can still be present in the milk, posing a potential risk to the infant. Similarly, using a breast pump carries the risk of contamination and does not entirely eliminate the possibility of transmitting the virus. Offering formula as an alternative may be seen as a safer choice in this context, as it does not involve the mother’s bodily fluids and therefore minimizes the risk of Ebola transmission to the infant.