Baby L_____ S_____, one month old female infant was brought to me by her aunt with a huge left breast abscess. The mother was too terrified to come inside my clinic & the father was also outside consoling the mother. It started as a small boil. They had taken her to pediatrician who gave them local ointment and oral antibiotics. However, it did not subside. IT grew very quickly and the child started to have fever. It was extremely painful and the child was constantly crying. The baby was being massaged by a servant. The possible reason is that many times such masseur, who are most often untrained try manipulation the delicate neonatal breast to express a clear or cloudy (milk-like) substance from nipple (also called witch’s milk). This causes potential damage & bleeding inside which gets infected or possibly it causes cracks in the nipple thro which the bacteria enter inside. The main worry of the relatives & parents was – will she have a normal breast development or is her left breast completely destroyed?
I removed the pus from the infant baby’s left breast under anesthesia. Subsequently she underwent daily dressings. The nipple restored back to normal and the wound healed very soon. I assured the parents that she will have normal breast. Nature is great!
Adult breast is common especially in lactating mothers but neonatal breast abscess is not so common.
Dr. Bimal Shah is the senior most General & Laparoscopic surgeon in Mira – Bhayandar with largest series of operations. He also consults at Borivali – Dahisar. He believes in ethical practice & is available at only trust hospitals. He passed out from KEM hospital, Mumbai in 1993 and was a lecturer training newer surgeons & medical students till 1998. 
