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Drugs and Breastfeeding
By Anne Smith - IBCLC
As the number
of nursing mothers continues to increase, so does the use of drugs, both legal
and recreational. As a nursing mother, you should be aware that there
are three things we know for sure about drugs and breastmilk:
- Nearly all drugs pass into human
milk.
- Almost all medication appears
in very small amounts, usually less than 1% of the maternal dose.
- Very few drugs are contraindicated
for nursing mothers.
The issue
of which drugs are safe to take during lactation is quite complicated. Many
factors must be taken into consideration, such as:
- The route of administration -
drugs can enter your system several different ways: orally, intravenously,
intramuscularly, topically, or through inhalation – topical medications (skin
creams) and medications inhaled or applied to the eyes or nose reach the milk
in lesser amounts and more slowly than other routes and are almost always
safe for nursing mothers; oral medications take longer to get into the milk
than IV and IM routes.
- How often you take the drug
(medications taken 30 to 60 minutes before you feed are likely to be a peak
blood levels when your baby nurses).
- Your baby’s age and maturity level
- The frequency and volume of feedings
(the baby who is nursing once or twice a day, and is supplemented the rest
of the time, will receive less of a drug than the baby who is totally breastfed
and may nurse 10-12 times a day).
- The type of medication
- In the last decade or two, as
breastfeeding rates have increased, so have the accuracy of the methods we
use to measure drugs in human milk. This is good because in certain situations,
such as nursing a very sick premature baby, knowing what medications appear
in even very tiny amounts can be significant. Many doctors are afraid to prescribe
a drug because of the conservative approach taken toward giving drugs to a
pregnant woman. They feel that if a drug might possibly cause birth
defects in a pregnant woman, then they shouldn’t give it to a lactating woman.
The difference is that while the placenta lets drugs enter to cross into the
developing fetus’s bloodstream, the breast serves as a very effective barrier
for a fully developed infant.
- Doctors tend to err on the side
of caution and recommend that a mother wean rather that do research and reassure
the mother that the medication is safe for her baby (as the majority of drugs
are), or explore alternative, safer medications. You should be aware
that the PDR (Physician’s Desk Reference-also known as the doctor’s bible…)
contains very little information about breastfeeding, and bases its recommendations
on the idea that no drug should be taken by a nursing mother unless it has
been proven absolutely safe in all circumstances. The problem with that
is that there is virtually no drug in the world, including Tylenol, that can
be said to be absolutely safe all the time.
- In deciding which drug to take,
you should always look at the situation from a risk/benefit perspective: The
benefits of breastfeeding are well known and undisputed, so doctors should
recommend a mother wean only when there is scientific documentation that a
drug will be harmful to her infant. A doctor who believes in the value of
breastfeeding should take the time to explore alternative therapies, or if
nursing must be interrupted, encourage the mother to continue pumping her
milk to maintain her supply and return to breastfeeding as soon as possible. If
your doctor prescribes a drug which he says in incompatible with breastfeeding,
it is reasonable to ask for documentation and/or alternative medications.
Here are
some general guidelines for taking drugs while nursing:
- Only take a medication if you
REALLY need it. Consider alternative, non-drug therapies if possible.
- If you have a choice, delay starting
the drug until the baby is older. A drug which might cause problems
for a newborn may be fine for an older, larger, more mature infant Take the
lowest possible dose for the shortest possible time.
- Schedule the doses so that the
lowest amount gets into the milk (take it soon after a feeding, preferably
a night feeding, rather than right before nursing).
- Watch for reactions such as sleepiness,
rashes, diarrhea, colic, etc. Although reactionsare rare, it is important
to keep your doctor informed of any changes.
- If you must take a drug that is
contraindicated, and no alternatives are available, get a good electric pump
to maintain your milk supply if you need to wean for more than a day or two.
Your supply will build up when the baby starts nursing again.
Some very general
information about drugs that are usually considered safe to take during breastfeeding
follows:
- If the drug is commonly prescribed
for infants, it is most often safe to take while nursing, because the baby
generally gets a much lower dose from the milk than he would from taking it
directly. Examples are most antibiotics, such as amoxycillin.
- Drugs considered safe during pregnancy
are usually, but with a few exceptions, safe to take while nursing.
- Drugs that are not absorbed from
the GI tract (stomach or intestines) are usually safe. Many of these
drugs are injected, such as heparin, insulin, lidocaine, or other local anesthetics.
Immunizations such as german measles, flu shots, TB tests, or Hepatitis A
and B, are not harmful to the baby – even the ones with live viruses.
Most antiepileptic
medications, antihypertensive medications, and nonsteroidal antinflammatory
medications are safe during lactation. Antidepressant medications and their
use by nursing mothers are being extensively studied, as more and more women
are currently being treated for depression, which often occurs during the postpartum
period. Some studies suggest that the one -year old infants of mothers who are
depressed may not exhibit normal neurobehaviorial development. It is therefore
important to treat depression and also to continue breastfeeding during treatment,
because one of the many benefits of breastfeeding is its positive effect on
neurodevelopment.
Use of antidepressant medication does not normally contraindicate
breastfeeding. We do have more information about the safety of some medications
than we do about others.
Currently, he most widely prescribed antidepressants are
SSRI (seretonin-selective reuptake inhibitors) such as Paxil and Zoloft. Both
appear in mother's milk in very small amounts. Zoloft is the preferred antidepressant
for nursing mothers because it is effective for many mothers, and studies on
breastfed babies show that their blood levels are usually too low to be measured.
It is usually the first medication to try.
Paxil is usually considered safe for nursing mothers. It
seems to get into the milk in very minimal amounts. Prozac is not the drug of
choice because it has a longer half-life and more appears in milk that the other
SSRI medications. Prozac should be avoided in the mother is nursing a premature
or newborn infant, especially if she took the medication during her pregnancy.
Treatment with Prozac is less likely to cause problems if the baby is 4-6 months
old because the baby is better able to eliminate it when he is older.
The tricyclic antidepressants (such as Trofanil and Pamelor)
appear in milk in very small amounts, but they take several weeks to start working
and many mothers have troubling side effects. According to Dr. Hale (Medications
and Mother's Milk, 2000) "…many studies show minimal to no effect of the
tricyclics on infants….". Wellbutrin (Zyban) is an older antidepressant
that has a different structure from SSRI and tricyclic medications. It may appear
in milk, but the amount is so low that it is unlikely to cause problems in the
breastfed baby. It is often used to help with smoking cessation.
The herbal preparation St. John's Wort is currently being
studied extensively, but there is not as much information about its effect on
breastfeeding as there is about the prescription antibiotics. Because there
is more information available about these other medications, it is suggested
that they be used during lactation rather than St. John's Wort. Use of this
herb is not recommended during pregnancy.
For information about OTC (over the
counter) medications, see article on “When
a Nursing Mother Gets Sick.”
There are
some prescription drugs which should never be taken during breastfeeding. These
include Bromocriptine (also called Parlodel – this used to be given to formula
feeding mothers soon after birth to dry up their milk, but was discontinued
due to side-effects); Ergotamine (used to treat migraines), and Cyclosporine,
Cyclophosphamide, Methotrexate, and Doxorubicin, used to treat cancer or organ
transplant rejection.
There are
some “recreational drugs” that should not be used at all, or used only in moderation
while you are nursing. These include alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, marijuana,
cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, and amphetamines. With cocaine, heroin,
PCP (angel dust), and LSD, the data is clear: they should never, EVER be used
by nursing mothers, even in small doses. They can and do cause serious
medical problems in you and your baby. If you must abuse these drugs,
don’t nurse your baby – and get some help.
Although ideally,
all nursing mothers would be drug-free all the time, the reality is that many
mothers will smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol or coffee, toke on a joint, or
take uppers occasionally. These drugs are so prevalent that it is worth
addressing their use. We get back to that risk/benefit thing we discussed
earlier. We know the benefits of breastfeeding versus the risks of artificial
feeding. Although none of the drugs mentioned above are good for you or
your baby, there is no evidence of serious harm, especially when used in moderation.
When
it comes to smoking, avoid having the baby breathe second-hand smoke of any
kind. Nicotine in large doses can cause low milk supply, poor let-down reflex,
and intestinal upsets in the baby. If you can’t quit, smoke after you nurse,
don’t smoke around the baby, and cut down as much as you can. If you smoke fewer
than a half a pack a day, the risks to the baby are small. The fewer cigarettes
you smoke, the smaller the chance that you will encounter problems.
Marijuana
is the most commonly used illegal drug among nursing mothers. The active
ingredient, THC, is concentrated in human milk and may make your baby sleepy. Inhaling
passive smoke increases the amount he absorbs. As with nicotine, exposing
your baby to second-hand smoke increases the amount of the drug he receives.
There is one study that found an exposure to marijuana through mother's milk
was associated with decreased motor development at one year. (Ashley & Little,
1990) Because there is little evidence of real harm, it is probably better to
continue nursing if you smoke pot occasionally than to wean and deprive the
baby of the protective benefits of breastfeeding.
Alcohol gets
into your milk quickly, but is also diluted relatively quickly by the water
in the baby’s body. Alcohol ingestion can decrease your milk supply, and
may delay your baby’s motor development, especially if you drink large amounts
on a regular basis. There no evidence that alcohol consumption in moderation
poses a serious risk for your baby. A glass of wine with dinner, or an
occasional couple of beers shouldn’t make you feel guilty. If you want
to be conservative, wait at least two hours for every drink you consume before
you nurse your baby. This means that if you want to go out and celebrate
your anniversary and really blow it out, you nurse the baby before you leave,
feed him expressed milk or formula during the night, have several drinks and
then start nursing again in the morning.
Some recommendation on limiting alcohol
intake:
1. Use expressed milk to feed if
needed after drinking
2. Eat before and while drinking
to minimize the alcohol absorption
3. Drink Slowly. Sip your drinks
and space them 2-3 hours apart.
4. Choose drinks low in alcohol,
or diluted with water or juice ( such as champagne punch, 30z port or vermouth,
5oz. of beer or wine).
5. Factor in your baby's age. Infants
under four weeks of age detoxify alcohol alcohol at a lower rate than babies
over three months, due to liver maturation, and preemie's livers are less mature
than full-term babies. As with any drug , you need to be more conservative
if you are nursing or pumping milk for a tiny preemie or new born than if you
are breastfeeding an older, more mature baby (6-12 months).
The caffeine
in five or less cups of coffee each day will not cause a problem for most nursing
mothers and babies. If you consume more than that, some babies will be
fussy and over-stimulated. Some babies and mothers are more sensitive
to caffeine than others. If you think it’s causing a problem, try substituting
decaf products for a couple of weeks and see if it makes a difference.
When you use amphetamines
in the usual prescription doses, they are compatible with nursing. If you
abuse them, they can accumulate in your milk, but even then normally don’t cause
problems for the baby. Symptoms in the baby with amphetamine abuse may
include irritability and sleeplessness – so don’t take more than the doctor
recommends. Duh.
Most drugs,
including chocolate (yes, it’s kind of a drug) and herbal preparations are safe
when taken in moderation. Keep this in mind while you are nursing. No,
you don’t have to be Mother Teresa and give up all your vices. Yes, you
do have to exercise common sense and self control and make some sacrifices for
this new little person in your life- but not as many as you had to make while
you were pregnant.
NOTE: The text of this article was
reduced for this publication. For more information on this topic, click
here.
About the Author
Anne Smith, anne@breastfeeding-basics.com
http://www.breastfeeding-basics.com
Anne Smith is an IBCLC – International Board Certified Lactation Consultant
and La Leche Leader since 1978. More importantly, she is a mother to 6 breast
fed kids with twenty plus years experience of counseling nursing mothers. Her
site, www.BreastfeedingBasics.com
, provides expert advice and solutions to breast-feeding problems and gives
basic information on how to breast feed. Anne also features her recommended
breast feeding products and breast pumps.
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if you have any questions or comments!