As more than 70 percent of breastfeeding mothers take medications after giving birth, researchers have discovered that some prescription drugs may alter the composition of women’s breast milk, raising new questions about infant nutrition.
However, these changes fall within safe limits, according to the researchers.
High Rates of Medication Use Among Breastfeeding Mothers
The new research, published in JAMA Network Open on Jan. 7 and conducted by a team from the University of California—San Diego, found that more than 50 percent of women take prescribed medications following childbirth. The study analyzed 384 milk samples collected from breastfeeding mothers in the United States and Canada between October 2014 and January 2024.
George Citroner
Author
George Citroner reports on health and medicine, covering topics that include cancer, infectious diseases, and neurodegenerative conditions. He was awarded the Media Orthopaedic Reporting Excellence (MORE) award in 2020 for a story on osteoporosis risk in men.
