Description

Normally breast milk is white to bluish white. A number of factors may cause breast milk to take on a different color.


Color

Cause

yellow to orange

colostrum (present around the time of delivery

red

blood, often from the nipple

brownish ("rusty pipe")

bleeding into breast ducts (with blood degradation)

various

food or dyes ingested

various

medications

 

In most situations the color of the milk is not a reason not to feed it to the infant. One exception is color change due to a medication that is contraindicated in infants.

 


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