Report Clears Many Drugs as OK for Breast-Feeding Mothers to Take

Breast-feeding mothers can take many drugs without endangering their infants, but some still should be avoided, doctors reported Monday.

“The majority of drugs either don’t cross into breast milk or do so in such small amounts that they don’t hurt the baby,” said Cheston Berlin of Penn State University’s Hershey Medical Center. He said physicians too often tell mothers not to breast feed if they are taking medication, but “we’re trying to dispel this notion” and tell women exactly what is safe.

Berlin was on a committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics, which revised and updated the group’s policy statement on the issue. It was published Monday in Pediatrics, the academy’s monthly journal.

The report concluded that most antibiotics, heart and high blood pressure medicines and non-prescription cold remedies will not harm nursing infants. It also suggested that up to six cups of coffee a day are safe, as well as minimal alcohol consumption--one or two glasses of wine a week, for example.

Drugs to avoid, the statement said, include such abused substances as cocaine, marijuana, heroin, nicotine and PCP.

Mothers who are undergoing chemotherapy should not breast feed, the policy statement said, and aspirin should be avoided in favor of acetaminophen.

The report also lists drugs whose effects are unknown but may be of concern, including such anti-anxiety agents as Valium, anti-depressants and anti-psychotic drugs.

Most drugs are sold with patient package inserts or label instructions that give the manufacturer’s advice when there is a question about use by breast-feeding women.