Lactation anaphylaxis: report of a rare case with recurrent postpartum anaphylaxis

Lactation anaphylaxis is extremely rare and has been scarcely reported in the literature. Breast feeding and/or milk expression immediately induces life-threatening anaphylactic reactions, including generalized urticaria, angioedema, respiratory symptoms, and hypotension. Six English-language case reports have described the clinical course in detail. The present report describes a case involving a 24-year-old woman with no history of allergic reactions or anaphylaxis who experienced anaphylactic reactions three times immediately after milk expression. Lactation anaphylaxis was suspected when a detailed medical history revealed lactation-related recurrent anaphylactic symptoms. The authors prescribed bromocriptine to stop lactation and switched her to formula feeding, which resulted in no further anaphylactic episodes. Based on a review of the relevant literature, this report describes the characteristics of lactation anaphylaxis and possible management strategies. The pathogenesis of lactation anaphylaxis has been inferred from various experimental results.