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Breastfeeding mums – take care with medicines containing codeine!
Last year in the United States a breastfed baby died from an overdose of morphine when its mother – who was breastfeeding it – was treated with codeine. Codeine is naturally metabolised into morphine by the liver. Following this disturbing event, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is now recommending caution.
“The risks for the child are very rare, but serious”, states the FDA. “The mother just needs to have a variation in liver enzyme to change codeine to morphine more rapidly .”. This is then passed on to the baby via the breast milk.
Of course this is an extremely rare occurrence. But as a precaution, the American agency is recommending that breastfeeding mothers being treated with codeine “should immediately consult their doctor, especially if (they) or (their) child experience increased sleepiness or difficulty breathing.” Codeine is a powerful pain killer but it is also worth remembering that it is contained in many cough syrups too.
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