Lactating parents of infants with a herpes simplex outbreak should practice contact precautions by keeping the lesions covered so that the infant is not exposed to the lesions. Feeding the lactating parent’s milk is safe if the infant is not exposed to the herpetic lesions while breastfeeding. If herpes simplex lesions are on the nipple/areolar region, expressed breastmilk should be discarded.¹

While milk should be pumped and discarded if HSV lesions are present on the nipple areolar complex, there is no absolute indication to pump and dump for a lactating parent with HSV lesions in other locations.

Toddlers who contract oral herpes simplex may transmit herpes simplex virus to their lactating parents’ nipple/areolar regions via direct breastfeeding. The decision to continue breastfeeding in this situation should be individualized, given that the toddler is already infected with oral herpes simplex. There is no absolute indication to pump and dump.