Breastfeeding, blood transfusion and vCJD. HELP!

[Kellsbelles83]

Hello there,
I read an old thread on Mumsnet today about not being able to donate breast milk due to receiving a blood transfusion.

I wanted to donate breast milk but found out on the internet that I can't donate my breast milk as I had a blood transfusion due to a miscarriage last year. My DD2 is 11 weeks old and breastfeeding is going really well. Until I read on this thread that there may be a tiny chance that I could pass on vCJD from the blood I received. That's if my blood is contaminated.

Having not been given the risks of breastfeeding my daughter, I went on to happily breastfeed. I am now slightly worried that I could have potentially passed on this.

Does anyone have any advice or know of anyone I can talk to about this?

Thank you x

I've no idea, but I had a blood transfusion after having DC1 in 2001. No-one told me about any risks of breast feeding (or any other risks come to that) so fed DC2 for nearly 2 years from 2004 onwards.

I've had several transfusions and am now expecting DC3, all have been breast fed to some degree, this has never ever been mentioned to me as a risk. It must be an absolutely minuscule risk, surely?

It wasn't mentioned as a risk to me - let alone breastfed children. Hospital assured me transfusions were safe....

I thought since the vCJD crisis all blood was cleaned of the risk?

I'd talk to the coordinator at your local milk donation scheme. They will know more.

I dont know but imagine that feeding your own child is fine but because donated milk gets given to sick/premie babies in hospital they just have to be extremely selective on what milk they use.
LLL may be able to give you advice

I really wouldn't worry. There are lots of totally blanket very, very ultra cautious rules on vCJD. Lots of other countries won't let you donate blood if you even lived in the UK over certain years.

Google is not your friend.