What are the effects of medicines on breastfeeding mothers?
Administration of medicines during breastfeeding may sometimes be necessary to the mother. Most drugs pass through the bloodstream and will be present in small amounts in the mother’s milk. To minimise your baby’s exposure to drugs you will need to discuss your medicine with your doctor or pharmacist.
How can you minimise your infant’s exposure to medication?
- Inform your doctor that you are breastfeeding your baby whenever you seek treatment
- Withhold any medicine that is not essential
- Withhold breastfeeding temporarily if necessary
- Take your medication immediately after your baby has been fed to ensure the lowest level of medicine in the milk at the next feeding.
- Take the medicine before the infant’s longest sleep period
What are the precautions you should take?
- Check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any medicine
- If you have to take a medicine while breastfeeding, have the baby checked regularly for any adverse effects that may occur.
- Use reliable references for obtaining information on medications in breast milk
- Medications that are safe in pregnancy are not always safe in breast-feeding mothers
Commonly used medicine taken during breastfeeding
Medicine
|
Comments
|
---|---|
Pain relievers and Analgesics
|
|
|
|
Antihistamines
|
|
|
|
Antacids
|
|
|
|
Antidiarrhoeals
|
|
|
|
Cough and cold preparations
|
|
|
|
Inhaled bronchodilators for asthma
|
|
![]() Inhaler |
|
Laxatives
|
|
|
|
Worm medications
|
|
|
|
Miscellaneous
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Harmful substances
Alcohol/Ethanol
|
|
---|---|
|
|
Tobacco smoke
|
|
|
|
Drugs of abuse
|
|
|
|
Last Reviewed | : | 23 April 2014 |
Writer | : | Che Pun bt. Bujang |
Dr. Nour Hanah bt. Othman | ||
Kamariah Shamsinar bt. Kamarul Baharin | ||
Siti Nurul Fathihah bt. Baharudin | ||
Hazlin bt. Othman | ||
Reviewer | : | Atika Mahfuza bt. Mahbub |