Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Methadone levels in human milk.

J J McCarthy1, B L Posey

  • 1Bi-Valley Medical Clinic, 2100 Capitol Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95816, USA.

Journal of Human Lactation : Official Journal of International Lactation Consultant Association
|January 12, 2001
PubMed
Summary

Breastfeeding while on methadone maintenance therapy is safe. Studies show minimal methadone transfer into breast milk, with no adverse effects observed in infants. This supports continued breastfeeding for mothers in treatment.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Bad Teeth vs. Good Health.

The Dental register·2021
Same author

Science in Congress: Deceptive statistics—Response.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2015
Same author

Science and regulation. Congress's attacks on science-based rules.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2015
Same author

Scaling up self-assembly: bottom-up approaches to macroscopic particle organization.

Soft matter·2015
Same author

Ambient hypoxia enhances the loss of muscle mass after extensive injury.

Pflugers Archiv : European journal of physiology·2013
Same author

Granular mixing and segregation in zigzag chute flow.

Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics·2013

Area of Science:

  • Pharmacology
  • Neonatal Health
  • Reproductive Medicine

Background:

  • Maternal methadone maintenance therapy is crucial for opioid use disorder treatment during pregnancy.
  • Concerns about methadone transfer to infants via breast milk often lead to recommendations against breastfeeding.
  • Limited data exists on the actual levels of methadone in breast milk and infant exposure.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantify methadone levels in breast milk from mothers undergoing maintenance therapy.
  • To assess the potential daily methadone ingestion by breastfed infants.
  • To evaluate the safety and compatibility of breastfeeding with methadone maintenance therapy.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of 14 breast milk samples from 8 women on methadone maintenance therapy (25–180 mg/day).
  • Calculation of estimated infant daily methadone ingestion based on mean milk intake.
  • Comparison of findings with existing published reports on methadone in breast milk.

Main Results:

  • Methadone levels in breast milk ranged from 27 to 260 ng/ml (mean 95 ng/ml).
  • Estimated mean daily infant methadone ingestion was 0.05 mg/day, a minimal amount.
  • Breastfeeding duration varied widely (2.5–21 months) with no reported adverse events.

Conclusions:

  • Breastfeeding is compatible with methadone maintenance therapy.
  • The low levels of methadone transferred via breast milk pose no apparent risk to infants.
  • This study supports evidence-based recommendations for breastfeeding mothers in treatment.

Related Experiment Videos