Patient's question:
Started running a fever this afternoon.Doctor's answer:
Whether medications taken by breastfeeding mothers affect infants depends on the nature of the drug and its concentration in breast milk. After a mother takes medication, it is absorbed into the bloodstream through the gastrointestinal tract. Approximately 1% to 2% of the drug is transferred to breast milk, accounting for only 0.025% to 1.5% of the dosage taken. This amount generally does not cause adverse effects in infants. Only drugs like isoniazid, metronidazole, and alcohol have higher concentrations in breast milk when taken by mothers. When mothers must use these medications, they should stop breastfeeding.Additionally, breastfeeding mothers should use aminoglycoside antibiotics such as gentamicin, kanamycin, and streptomycin, as well as macrolide antibiotics like erythromycin and spiramycin, with caution to prevent potential ototoxic, nephrotoxic reactions, and liver damage in infants. If mothers must take these medications, they should delay breastfeeding to reduce the infant's absorption.
A very small number of drugs that are contraindicated during breastfeeding, such as various anticancer drugs, immunosuppressants, and radioactive isotopes, require mothers to stop breastfeeding if they must be used.