Last update May 21, 2021

Maternal Giardiasis

Compatible

Safe substance and/or breastfeeding is the best option.

Giardia lamblia is a single-celled parasite that causes diarrhea in humans. The mode of transmission is fecal-oral.

Transmission of Giardia lamblia through breast milk has not been documented.

Maternal giardiasis is not a contraindication to breastfeeding (Lawrence 2016 p779).
Breastfeeding protects infants from giardiasis (Mahmud 2001, Morrow 1992).

Breast milk destroys giardia through several of its components: phagocytes, secretory Immunoglobulin A (IgAs), fatty acids and lipase (Lawrence 2016 p161 and 182, França 2006, Hanson 1994, Hernell 1986, Reiner 1986, Gillin 1983).

Secretory IgA anti-giardia lamblia in breast milk is more frequent and with a higher level of antibodies when mothers have passed the infection and have developed specific IgG antibodies (Tellez 2003, Nayak 1987, Miotti 1985).

If the breastfeeding mother has acute symptoms (diarrhea), she should drink more fluids to avoid dehydration. Hygienic measures (hand washing) must be used to avoid transmission.


See below the information of these related products:

  • Albendazole (Safe substance and/or breastfeeding is the best option.)
  • Furazolidone (Fairly safe. Mild or unlikely adverse effects. Compatible under certain circumstances. Follow-up recommended. Read Commentary.)
  • Mebendazole (Safe substance and/or breastfeeding is the best option.)
  • Metronidazole (Safe substance and/or breastfeeding is the best option.)
  • Nitazoxanide (Safe substance and/or breastfeeding is the best option.)
  • Ornidazole (Fairly safe. Mild or unlikely adverse effects. Compatible under certain circumstances. Follow-up recommended. Read Commentary.)
  • Paromomycin Sulfate (Safe substance and/or breastfeeding is the best option.)
  • Secnidazole (Safe substance and/or breastfeeding is the best option.)
  • Tinidazole (Safe substance and/or breastfeeding is the best option.)

Suggestions made at e-lactancia are done by APILAM team of health professionals, and are based on updated scientific publications. It is not intended to replace the relationship you have with your doctor but to compound it. The pharmaceutical industry contraindicates breastfeeding, mistakenly and without scientific reasons, in most of the drug data sheets.

Jose Maria Paricio, Founder & President of APILAM/e-Lactancia

Your contribution is essential for this service to continue to exist. We need the generosity of people like you who believe in the benefits of breastfeeding.

Thank you for helping to protect and promote breastfeeding.

José María Paricio, founder of e-lactancia.
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Maternal Giardiasis belongs to this group or family:

References

  1. Lawrence RA, Lawrence RM. Breastfeeding. A guide for the medical profession. Eighth Edition. Philadelphia: Elsevier; 2016
  2. França-Botelho AC, Honório-França AC, França EL, Gomes MA, Costa-Cruz JM. Phagocytosis of Giardia lamblia trophozoites by human colostral leukocytes. Acta Paediatr. 2006 Apr;95(4):438-43. Abstract
  3. Tellez A, Winiecka-Krusnell J, Paniagua M, Linder E. Antibodies in mother's milk protect children against giardiasis. Scand J Infect Dis. 2003;35(5):322-5. Abstract
  4. Mahmud MA, Chappell CL, Hossain MM, Huang DB, Habib M, DuPont HL. Impact of breast-feeding on Giardia lamblia infections in Bilbeis, Egypt. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2001 Sep;65(3):257-60. Abstract
  5. Hanson LA, Hahn-Zoric M, Berndes M, Ashraf R, Herias V, Jalil F, Bhutta TI, Laeeq A, Mattsby-Baltzer I. Breast feeding: overview and breast milk immunology. Acta Paediatr Jpn. 1994 Oct;36(5):557-61. Review. Abstract
  6. Morrow AL, Reves RR, West MS, Guerrero ML, Ruiz-Palacios GM, Pickering LK. Protection against infection with Giardia lamblia by breast-feeding in a cohort of Mexican infants. J Pediatr. 1992 Sep;121(3):363-70. Abstract
  7. Nayak N, Ganguly NK, Walia BN, Wahi V, Kanwar SS, Mahajan RC. Specific secretory IgA in the milk of Giardia lamblia-infected and uninfected women. J Infect Dis. 1987 Apr;155(4):724-7. Abstract
  8. Hernell O, Ward H, Bläckberg L, Pereira ME. Killing of Giardia lamblia by human milk lipases: an effect mediated by lipolysis of milk lipids. J Infect Dis. 1986 Apr;153(4):715-20. Abstract
  9. Reiner DS, Wang CS, Gillin FD. Human milk kills Giardia lamblia by generating toxic lipolytic products. J Infect Dis. 1986 Nov;154(5):825-32. Abstract
  10. Miotti PG, Gilman RH, Pickering LK, Ruiz-Palacios G, Park HS, Yolken RH. Prevalence of serum and milk antibodies to Giardia lamblia in different populations of lactating women. J Infect Dis. 1985 Nov;152(5):1025-31. Abstract
  11. Gillin FD, Reiner DS, Wang CS. Human milk kills parasitic intestinal protozoa. Science. 1983 Sep 23;221(4617):1290-2. Abstract
  12. Gillin FD, Reiner DS, Wang CS. Killing of Giardia lamblia trophozoites by normal human milk. J Cell Biochem. 1983;23(1-4):47-56. Abstract

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