What is it about?
Within each general practice there will be women who have a chronic medical condition but who are also breastfeeding their baby. However, we may not know who they are. This article provides some ways to support mothers to continue to breastfeed their baby whilst managing their own symptoms
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Why is it important?
Breastfeeding can be very important to a mother not solely as a means of nurturing but as a protection of future health for both of them. Advising a mother to stop breastfeeding to take a medication can have many unexpected consequences such as mastitis, refusal to feed, cow's milk protein allergy .
Perspectives
We should be thinking " this mother is breastfeeding,which medication can I prescribe to allow her to continue?" rather than " I need to prescribe this drug, can the mother continue to breastfeed?". There are many specialist source of information available, using pharmacokinetic data and studies, we can make professional decisions in consultation with the parents. Mothers will remember that you took the time to support them in their chosen feeding method.
Wendy Jones
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Breastfeeding and medication for long-term conditions, Practice Nursing, December 2022, Mark Allen Group,
DOI: 10.12968/pnur.2022.33.12.495.
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