Sporadic puerperal mastitis. An infection that need not interrupt lactation.

Sporadic (nonepidemic) acute puerperal mastitis was diagnosed 65 times over a period of 26 months in 2.5% of mothers who elected to nurse their infants. Staphylococcus auereus was cultured from the milk of 23 of 48 infected breasts, but from only one breast of 19 normal mothers. Forty-one women with mastitis continued to nurse without difficulty for an average of 13 weeks, although mastitis recurred in four women. Three breast abscesses resulted from the 65 infections (4.6%).