What Causes Mastitis? Common Triggers and Risk Factors Every Mom Should Know
Mastitis is the term used to describe a spectrum of conditions, including breast engorgement, breast inflammation, blocked ducts, nipple blebs, bacterial mastitis (once an infection kicks in), and breast abscesses.
There are two main causes of mastitis, and they work together to form an evil circle that can cause simple engorgement to lead to a devastating complication like a breast abscess. These are hyperlactation (too much milk or insufficient emptying), and dysbiosis (an imbalance in microbiome (or good bacteria) in the breast.
Understanding the risk factors can help you to be on the lookout for mastitis symptoms and to act early. The include:
- Poor or painful latch, as this often means that baby cannot properly empty the breast.
- Tongue-tie, lip-tie, or a high palate in baby – once again as this effects breast emptying.
- Inverted or flat nipples, which can affect latching and pumping.
- A sleepy or premature baby feeding poorly
- Maternal fatigue, stress, or anxiety – if your immune system is down your body is less able to fight infection
- Irregular feeding (especially during travel or holidays)
- Baby suddenly sleeping through the night
- Using a dummy to stretch time between feeds
- Scheduled rather than on-demand feeding
- Previous blocked ducts or mastitis episodes
- Over-pumping or overstimulating milk supply – this is one of the reasons why you should be careful to express in the first 6 weeks after birth, unless there is a medical reason for you to do so
- Deep massage used for engorgement, as this bruises the breast and causes swelling and inflammation.
- Unnecessary milk-supply medications (still prescribed routinely in South Africa)
All of these highlights the importance of seeking help early from a certified lactation consultant if you think that you are experiencing difficulties.
For more information, read our feature on what happens inside the breast during mastitis, as well as our comprehensive feature on treating engorgement and mastitis.
