Sunday, March 31, 2013

Can a Nursing Mother Take Aspirin?

Can a Nursing Mother Take Aspirin?

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has issued a policy statement recommending that nursing mothers should take the safest possible drugs when there are alternatives. As an example, AAP lists acetaminophen (Tylenol) as a better option that aspirin.

Identification

    Aspirin is a salicylate drug that is used for pain relief and as a blood thinner. According to the Drug Safety Site, it is excreted into breast milk in low concentrations.

History

    Sodium salicylate, a drug closely related to aspirin, was first detected in human breast milk in 1935.

Time Frame

    When a nursing mother takes aspirin, either in a single dose or in repeated doses, the concentration of the drug in her breast milk peaks nine hours later.

Potential

    Aspirin in human milk could potentially impact platelet function in the nursing infant. This can cause blood thinning, rashes, and bleeding.

Expert Insight

    AAP includes aspirin in its list of "drugs that have been associated with some significant effects in some nursing infants and should be given to nursing mothers with caution."

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