Drugs
Taking medication while breastfeeding should only be justified if the active ingredient either does not pass into breast milk or if it does not cause harm to the infant. In principle, however, many medications are no reason to stop breastfeeding. You should always discuss with your doctor or pharmacist which medications cause possible harm and should therefore be avoided.
It may also be necessary to take a break from breastfeeding. A good overview is given on the website of the Federal Ministry of Health www. embryotox.
de. In case of slight complaints, you should consider whether a drug is really needed or whether harmless household remedies might be sufficient. In the case of chronic diseases and related drug intake, you should discuss the procedure with your doctor.
In principle, you should always take medication a few hours before the next nursing meal so that the mother’s body can already convert some of the active ingredient. Each medication must be individually tested and critically reviewed to ensure the best possible protection for the child. Ibuprofen belongs to the group of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
It is a pain-relieving, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic drug and is often given, for example, for headaches or rheumatoid arthritis. Ibuprofen is considered to be the painkiller of choice when breastfeeding. No damage could be detected in breastfed children.
Paracetamol is an analgesic and antipyretic. It does not have an anti-inflammatory effect and is used mainly for mild to moderate pain.The intake of paracetamol during the lactation period is considered harmless. So far, no negative effects or intolerances have been observed in a breastfed child.
For this reason, paracetamol is considered the painkiller of choice in the breastfeeding period alongside ibuprofen. The active ingredient acetylsalicylic acid of Aspirin is considered an analgesic for mild to moderately severe pain. It has a fever-reducing and anti-inflammatory effect and is used to inhibit coagulation.
Aspirin is not prohibited in the nursing period per se. An occasional intake of 1.5g as an analgesic seems reasonable. However, ibuprofen and paracetamol are to be preferred as analgesics.
The use in antirheutmatic doses of 4g per day is not recommended. At a dosage of 100-300mg per day aspirin may be taken regularly. Infections during lactation are often caused by bacteria and therefore require antibiotic therapy.
Symptoms caused by the medication are not very common in breastfed children. Diarrhea may occasionally occur in the infant. In most cases, treatment during pregnancy and breastfeeding is based on beta-lactam antibiotics.
These include penicillins, carbapenems, cephalosporins and monobactams, with penicillins and cephalosporins in pregnancy and lactation being the best studied. A combination with beta-lactamase inhibitors such as clavulanic acid is possible. Together they are considered to be the first choice for lactation.
In the case of an allergy, macrolides are also available. Discuss every use of an antibiotic with your doctor. Your doctor can select the best antibiotic for you and your child.
