What's the best way to relieve mastitis in breastfeeding mothers?

Abstract

Frequent breast emptying helps both infectious and noninfectious mastitis (strength of recommendation [SOR]: A, 1 randomized controlled trial [RCT]). Antibiotics may be useful for women with positive milk cultures (SOR: A, 2 RCTs), but their utility for treating undifferentiated mastitis is unknown (SOR: A, 1 systematic review). Consider prescribing antibiotics for women whose mastitis symptoms don't improve after 12 to 24 hours of frequent breast emptying (SOR: C, consensus guideline).