My daughter was confined in a hospital for  two weeks.  She was diagnosed with mastitis and the oral medication previously prescribed by her pediatrician did not totally eliminate the bacteria that may have caused the inflammation of her left breast. She’s 10 and at the early stage of puberty. With the referral of her doctor, we consulted a pediatric surgeon who decided that she needs to undergo ultrasound (breast sonogram), and the antibiotics (Clindamycin) should be administered through IV (intravenous) thus the need to be confined.  Medication, may take 7 to 10 days, according to  the pedia surgeon.  

She was admitted last February 21 and discharged on March 8 – a total of 14 days stay in the hospital, and underwent ultrasound 4 times.  She’s now doing well and completing another (hopefully the last) round of medicines.  Once done with her meds, she will again be examined by her doctor and will undergo another ultrasound.   

So what is Mastitis, if you may ask. 

Mastitis is a condition which causes a woman’s breast tissue to become painful and inflamed. While it is most common in breastfeeding women, it may also occur among non-breastfeeding adolescents, including young girls. 

Many cases of mastitis in breastfeeding women occur when milk is not properly removed from breast during breastfeeding.  On the other hand, in women and girls who are don’t breastfeed, mastitis is often caused by a bacterial infection.  Physical trauma may also play a role in the inflammation of the breast.  (Sources:  http://www.nhs.uk, http://www.jpeds.com)

In the case of my daughter, sensitivity of her developing breasts and physical trauma contributed to her condition.  The last thing she remembers is that her brother accidentally hit her with his elbow while he was dancing/playing.  Although I have to confirm this with the doctors,  it might be related to her menstruation for she had her first ever menstrual period last Sunday.  

Our next check-up will be this coming weekend. We are confident that the abscess and bacteria are totally gone forever.  

So there, moms, hope you learn something from our experience. If you have a daughter entering or in within adolescent stage, always remind them to take extra care of their breasts.