World Breastfeeding Week is August 1-7, 2011. Choosing to breastfeed is an important decision for every mother, especially mothers who live with rheumatoid arthritis. The medications we take for RA are powerful drugs with serious and potential side-effects. Every mother wants to know that the health of her child is not being affected by these medications.
Knowledge of what are safe medications to take is vital. BabyCenter.com offers a consolidated chart of medications which are usually safe to take while breastfeeding, probably safe in usual doses, hazardous, and not safe to take. The list was compiled by Philip Anderson, a pharmacist and editor of LactMed which is the National Library of Medicine’s drug and lactation database.
Mothers want to know how various medications or chemicals may impact their children, especially breastfeeding infants. LactMed provides information regarding the impact of many drugs and chemicals on lactation, infants, and breastfeeding mothers. The database also offers summaries on individual reports and studies involving infants exposed to different medications in breastmilk.
LactMed is “A peer-reviewed and fully referenced database of drugs to which breastfeeding mothers may be exposed. Among the data included are maternal and infant levels of drugs, possible effects on breastfed infants and on lactation, and alternate drugs to consider.”
Searching the LactMed database is easy and the information is presented in clear language. All data comes from scientific literature and is fully referenced. Statements regarding a drug’s compatibility with breastfeeding are provided by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
A new feature for the database is the LactMed App for iPhone and Android mobile devices. The app presents the very same information which is available on the website, including hot links to supporting reference materials. The app was very easy to use and is the source of the information shared below. This information is not intended to be complete nor provide medical advice. It is only a sampling of what is shared in LactMed. Please discuss options with your rheumatologist.
Medications Used in RA and Their Effect on Breastfeeding
STEROIDS:
Prednisone - Limited information indicates maternal doses up to 20mg produce low levels in breastmilk and would not be expected to cause any adverse effects in breastfed infants;. With high doses, the use of prednisolone (instead of prednisone) and avoiding breastfeeding for 3-4 hours after a dose should decrease the amount received by the infant.
Prednisolone - Limited information indicates that maternal doses up to 50mg produce low levels in breastmilk and would not be expected to cause any adverse effects in breastfed infants. With high doses, avoiding breastfeeding for 4 hours after a dose should markedly decrease the dose received by the infant.
