CANDIDA INFECTION OF THE LACTATING BREAST

本子项目是利用由NIH/NCRR资助的中心赠款提供的资源的众多研究子项目之一。子项目和研究者（PI）可能已经从另一个NIH来源获得了主要资金，因此可以在其他CRISP条目中表示。列出的机构是中心的，不一定是研究者的机构。与母乳喂养有关的疼痛是仅次于母乳供应不足的第二大原因，是早期断奶的最常见原因。乳房念珠菌感染被认为是导致母乳喂养相关疼痛的原因之一。证实这种可能关系的数据很少。哺乳期妇女持续的乳头疼痛（在头两周之后），本质上是灼烧的，并与哺乳期间和之后的放射性乳房疼痛有关，这与乳房念珠菌感染有关。感染的生理原因和治疗方案尚未得到很好的研究。尽管缺乏证据，但越来越多的非专业文献建议口服制霉菌素治疗哺乳婴儿，并建议母亲同时使用局部抗真菌药物（制霉菌素）和全身抗真菌药物（氟康唑）。我们的总体假设是，与母乳喂养有关的疼痛与念珠菌的存在无关。本研究项目的主要目的是确定是否存在念珠菌（和/或其他病原体）在乳房浅表（乳晕、乳头）和导管结构内，在有或没有母乳喂养相关疼痛症状的哺乳期妇女中也将确定。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Pain associated with breast-feeding is second only to insufficient milk supply as the most common cause for early weaning. Candida infection of the breast has been postulated as one of the causes of breast-feeding associated pain. There is a paucity of data confirming this possible relationship. Persistent nipple pain (after the first two weeks) in lactating women, burning in nature and associated with radiating breast pain during and after feedings, has been linked to Candida infection of the breast. The physiological causes of the infection and treatment options are not well studied. Despite the lack of evidence, there is a growing body of lay literature recommending oral treatment of the nursing infant with nystatin and treatment of the mother with both topical antifungals (nystatin) and systemic antifungals (fluconazole). Our overall hypothesis is that pain associated with breast-feeding is not associated with the presence of Candida. The primary purpose of this research project is to determine the presence of Candida (and/or other pathogens) on the superficial breast (areolar, nipple) and within the ductal architecture in lactating women with and without symptoms breastfeeding-associated pain will also be determined.