What medications pass through breast milk?

Understanding Medications in Breast Milk
The topic of medications and their passage through breast milk is crucial for breastfeeding mothers who may require treatment for various health conditions. While many medications are considered safe, the dynamics of how drugs enter breast milk and their potential effects on infants warrant careful consideration.
How Medications Transfer to Breast Milk
Most commonly used medications are generally safe for breastfeeding mothers and their infants. The amount of medication that passes into breast milk is typically small, often significantly less than the doses that would be administered directly to neonates or infants. This is particularly important because it means that the risk of adverse effects on the baby is minimized when mothers take these medications as prescribed.
The transfer of drugs into breast milk can depend on several factors, including the drug’s chemical properties. Medications that are lipid-soluble tend to pass more readily into breast milk, while those that are water-soluble do not transfer as easily. Additionally, drugs with shorter half-lives are preferred, as they are eliminated from the mother’s system more quickly, reducing the amount that could be present in breast milk during feeding.
Safety Considerations
When prescribing medications to breastfeeding mothers, healthcare providers must weigh the benefits of treatment against the potential risks to the infant. A medication deemed safe during pregnancy may not necessarily be safe during breastfeeding. This is due to the differences in how drugs are metabolized and excreted in the body during these two distinct physiological states.
Most medications, including common over-the-counter drugs like paracetamol and ibuprofen, are considered safe for use while breastfeeding. However, certain medications, particularly some opioids and antidepressants, require careful monitoring and may necessitate alternative treatments. For instance, while opioids like morphine and codeine can be excreted in breast milk, their use should be approached with caution, and mothers are often advised to wait a period after taking these medications before breastfeeding.
Special Circumstances and Recommendations
In special circumstances, such as when a mother is undergoing treatment for a serious condition, the need for medication may outweigh the risks. In such cases, healthcare providers may recommend strategies to minimize exposure, such as timing doses to coincide with feedings or using alternative medications that are known to be safer.
Moreover, the neonatal period is a time when infants are particularly vulnerable, as their bodies are still developing. Research indicates that medications may penetrate breast milk more during this period than in later stages of lactation, which is another factor to consider when prescribing drugs to new mothers.
Conclusion
In summary, while many medications can pass through breast milk, the majority are safe for breastfeeding mothers and their infants when used appropriately. It is essential for mothers to consult healthcare providers about any medications they are considering, ensuring that both their health and the well-being of their baby are prioritized. By understanding the dynamics of drug transfer into breast milk, mothers can make informed decisions about their treatment options while continuing to provide the benefits of breastfeeding.

Can anything be passed through breast milk?

Infectious organisms can reach the breast milk either by secretion in the fluid or cellular components of breast milk or by contamination of the milk at the time of or after expression.

What drugs can pass through breast milk?

most antibiotics. asthma inhalers. vitamins (but only at the recommended dose) the painkiller paracetamol – you should check with a GP or midwife before taking paracetamol if it’s combined with other medicines.

What can be transferred through breast milk?

Serious Illnesses and Breastfeeding

• COVID-19. A parent who tests positive for COVID-19 can breastfeed their infant.
• HIV.
• Hepatitis B.
• Hepatitis C.
• Tuberculosis.
• Other infections.
• Cancer.
• More information.

What happens if you breastfeed with drugs in your system?

There is still a lot we don’t know about the effects of drugs on your baby when you are breastfeeding but it’s thought that, even at low levels, taking drugs is likely to: make your baby drowsy, feed poorly and have disturbed sleep patterns and poor weight gain. cause behavioural problems.

What is passed to baby in breast milk?

Breast milk passes the mother’s antibodies to the baby. This helps protect the child from germs until their immune system develops. Breast milk contains many other biologically active components, too. “Human milk is not just a composite of individual components,” Raiten says.

What illnesses should you not breastfeed?

When Should I Not Breastfeed My Baby?

• If the mother has been infected with HIV or has AIDS.
• Many medications taken by the mother may pass onto the baby via breast milk.
• Mothers with cancer who are taking cancer chemotherapy medications also cannot breastfeed their babies.

What meds can you not take while breastfeeding?

These include:

• Pain relievers, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin).
• Some cold and influenza (flu) medicines.
• Most antibiotics.
• Antidepressants.
• Anticoagulants (blood thinners).
• Diabetes medicines (such as insulin).
• Decongestants with pseudoephedrine (such as Sudafed).

Which type of medication readily enters breast milk?

Medications with molecular weights less than 300 are considered smaller and will tend to penetrate to milk in higher concentrations than those with higher molecular weights. An example of a low molecular weight drug is ethanol (Alcohol).

What passes through breast milk to a baby?

Foods and drinks to avoid while breastfeeding
Caffeine passes into breastmilk, so large amounts of tea, coffee and cola drinks are best avoided. Drinking small amounts of drinks with caffeine (3 or less drinks a day) should not be a problem. Alcohol also passes into breastmilk and can affect your baby.

What medications are unsafe while breastfeeding?

ANSWER: Only a few drugs pose a clinically significant risk to breastfed babies. In general, antineoplastics, drugs of abuse, some anticonvulsants, ergot alkaloids, and radiopharmaceuticals should not be taken, and levels of amiodarone, cyclosporine, and lithium should be monitored.