Drug use during breastfeeding

Breastfeeding mothers, like everyone else, can get ill and need medication. Both mothers and their doctors can be hesitant to use medication during the breastfeeding period. Often is thought that even the tiniest amount of medicine in mothers’ milk will cause dramatic effects to the child. The package insert isn’of much either, because often it says ‘’don’t use during lactation’’, not because of proven risks, but because there were no trials done and the manufacturer wants to make sure he can’t be sued. Or the insert reads ‘’consult your doctor before use’’, but the doctor doesn’t know either. As a result many moms do not use a needed medication or mothers interrupt or stop breastfeeding altogether to be able to medicate their illness. Both reactions are mostly overdone. Still, health care professionals who do study this matter do exist and they’re happy to share their knowledge and experience with their collegues in books (Hale) and online (e-lactancia, embryotox). Parents who want to know if ot’s safe to combine breastfeeding with a certain medication can consult  specialized lactation consultants via borstvoeding.com or directly with some lactation consultant practices like Eurolac or Aidulac. Lactation consultants do not prescribe medications, they do provide information based on literature reviews.
Jayawickrama HS, Amir LH, and Pirotta MV: GPs' decision-making when prescribing medicines for breastfeeding women: Content analysis of a survey. BMC Research Notes 2010, 3:82
Schirm E, Schwagermann MP, Tobi H, de Jong-van den Berg LTW: Drug use during breastfeeding. A survey from the Netherlands. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2004) 58, 386–390.
Hale T: Medications and Mothers’ Milk, Hale Publishing, Amarillo TX, 201014
e-lactancia.org: Marina Alta Hospital, Denia, Spain http://www.e-lactancia.org/ingles/inicio.asp
Embryotox, Arzneimittelsicherheit in Schwangerschaft und Stillzeit (´´Schaefer online´´), http://www.embryotox.de
http://www.borstvoeding.com/lk/medicijnconsult/lk.html
http://www.borstvoedingsforum.nl/faq.php?mode=bvfaq#11