MINIMIZING INFANT EXPOSURE TO AND RISKS FROM MEDICATIONS WHILE BREAST-FEEDING

The advantages of breastfeeding to the mother and newborn are many. La ctating mothers frequently ask about the safety of taking medications and the risk to their newborn. It is well established that all drugs a re excreted into breast milk. However, most medications appear in only small amounts within the breast milk With the availability of numerou s resources on drug use while breastfeeding, a medication can be ident ified as contraindicated or compatible with breastfeeding. By understa nding the anatomy of the breast, principles of lactation, and drug pas sage into breast milk, an approach to minimize the transfer of the med ications in the breast milk to the newborn can be developed. The plan should usually support and encourage the mother to continue to breastf eed her infant.