[Drugs and breast feeding].

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology
• Neonatal Medicine
• Lactation Studies

Context:

• Assessing medication safety during breastfeeding is critical for maternal and infant health.
• Limited data often hinders evidence-based prescribing for lactating women.
• Understanding drug transfer into breast milk is essential for risk-benefit analysis.

Purpose:

• To provide a framework for determining the safety of drug administration during lactation.
• To highlight the necessary data for safe prescribing: drug transfer, pharmacokinetics, and infant dosage.
• To identify and emphasize high-risk situations to avoid when prescribing medications to breastfeeding mothers.

Summary:

• Drug administration during breastfeeding is often compatible with lactation.
• Key data include drug transfer into breast milk, pharmacokinetic parameters, and neonate/child dosages.
• Antibiotics, analgesics, and antitussives can generally be prescribed safely with adequate information.
• Identifying and avoiding high-risk scenarios is paramount for safe medication use.
• The importance of certain vitamins, particularly vitamin K, during lactation is also discussed.

Impact:

• Enables healthcare providers to make informed decisions regarding medication use in breastfeeding mothers.
• Improves the safety and well-being of both the nursing mother and the infant.
• Facilitates the continued treatment of maternal conditions without compromising infant health.
• Contributes to evidence-based guidelines for pharmacotherapy during lactation.
• Highlights the role of nutritional support, such as vitamin K, in lactation.