Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 13, 2026
04:56
An Efficient Single-Person Technique for Milk Sampling from Laboratory Mice
Published on: March 28, 2025
Lactation safety recommendations and reliability compared in 10 medication resources.
1Department of Pharmacy, Cambridge Health Alliance, Somerville, MA 02143, USA. makus@challiance.org
The Annals of Pharmacotherapy
|July 12, 2007
Summary
Many drug safety resources may incorrectly advise mothers to stop breastfeeding, potentially harming infant and maternal health. Pharmacists need updated information to provide accurate lactation drug safety recommendations.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Lactation Medicine
- Drug Safety
Background:
- Breastfeeding cessation is associated with increased risks of acute and chronic diseases in children and maternal health issues.
- Mothers and physicians rely on pharmacists for accurate drug information during lactation.
- The reliability of drug safety information impacts breastfeeding decisions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the accuracy of drug safety recommendations for lactating women.
- To determine if current resources inappropriately advise against breastfeeding.
- To assess the impact of information sources on breastfeeding continuation.
Main Methods:
- Compared 10 common drug information sources for 14 frequently used medications during breastfeeding.
- Included retail pharmacy databases, text references, and electronic resources.
- Assessed the number of drugs deemed safe for breastfeeding by each source.
Main Results:
- Many sources incorporated recent research findings.
- For drugs considered safe, retail pharmacy databases recommended alternatives 75% of the time.
- Discrepancies in recommendations were noted across different information sources.
Conclusions:
- Outdated drug safety information can lead to inappropriate breastfeeding cessation advice.
- Pharmacists, as accessible medication experts, require continuous education on reliable lactation resources.
- Ensuring accurate drug information is crucial for supporting breastfeeding and mitigating health risks for mothers and infants.
Related Concept Videos
01:29Drug Dosing: Infants and Children
Pediatric patient dosages diverge from adults due to disparities in body surface area, total body water, and extracellular fluid per kilogram of body weight. The dosing regimen considers the variations in pharmacokinetics and pharmacology across distinct age groups, encompassing preterm newborns, infants, young children, older children, and adolescents. Calculation of pediatric patient doses is predicated on determining body surface area, which exhibits a superior correlation with the child's...
01:21Factors Affecting Drug Response: Overview
When it comes to infants and young children, they are typically administered smaller doses of medication in comparison to adults. This is primarily because their organ functions still need to fully develop, meaning their bodies are not as efficient at metabolizing or eliminating drugs. Additionally, their blood-brain barrier is more permeable than in adults. As a result, high concentrations of drugs can easily penetrate the central nervous system (CNS), potentially leading to neurological...
01:22Drug Excretion: Pulmonary and Glandular Routes
Gaseous substances like general anesthetics are absorbed and excreted through the lungs via simple diffusion. This process depends on factors such as pulmonary blood flow, respiration rate, and the substance's solubility. Gaseous anesthetics like nitrous oxide with low blood solubility are excreted rapidly, while compounds like alcohol, with high blood and tissue solubility, are excreted slowly.
Drugs can also be excreted in breast milk, which is crucial for breastfeeding infants. The process...
Drugs can also be excreted in breast milk, which is crucial for breastfeeding infants. The process...
01:19Dosage Interval and Administration Route: Determination Methods
A medication’s effectiveness largely depends on its appropriate dosage and the route of administration. Dosage ensures that a sufficient drug concentration is maintained in the bloodstream to elicit the desired therapeutic effect without causing toxicity. The route of administration affects the drug's bioavailability, rate of absorption, and onset of action, which are crucial for achieving optimal therapeutic outcomes. Drug dosage calculations are critical to tailoring therapy to individual...
01:26Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion
In pediatric medicine, understanding the renal function and drug elimination nuances is crucial for administering safe and effective treatments. Newborns, in particular, display markedly slower renal functions than adults, profoundly affecting how drugs are cleared from their bodies. This slower drug clearance requires clinicians to extend the dosing intervals for many medications to prevent drug accumulation and toxicity while ensuring therapeutic efficacy.One key area where these adjustments...
01:24Dosage Regimen: Individualization
Individualization in dosing regimens is the customization of medication doses for individual patients. Its necessity arises from the goal of maximizing therapeutic benefits while minimizing risks. This approach is pivotal because human responses to drugs can vary widely; what is effective for one person may be inadequate or excessive for another. Interpatient (intersubject) variability refers to differences in drug responses between individuals, while intrapatient (intrasubject) variability...