Colds do not cause milk quality or quantity to diminish and breastfeeds can supply a great deal of comfort as well as nutrition to a child who is feeling poorly. For information on flu and breastfeeding see separate sheet.
For more information on decongestants see separate sheet. Pain killer Additional paracetamol should not be taken where it is contained in the commercial product. Products containing paracetamol or ibuprofen can be taken by breastfeeding women. Decongestants Antihistamines e. Expectorant cough mixtures Medicines containing Guaifenesin can be taken by breastfeeding mothers to relieve a chesty cough.
Cough Linctus A linctus is generally a sugary solution but may be sugar free used to soothe coughs and the active ingredients listed need to be considered individually. Pholcodeine linctus may be taken by breastfeeding women to relieve dry coughs. Lozenges or pastilles to soothe coughs and sore throats Lozenges and pastilles will not produce sufficient absorption of ingredients to pass into breastmilk and can be used by breastfeeding mothers to relieve their symptoms.
Alternative remedies and herbs Echinacea containing products can be taken to increase immunity and help the body to fight symptoms of coughs and colds as can vitamin C and zinc. When babies have colds Babies may want to feed frequently both for extra fluid and for comfort when they have cold symptoms.
Babies with blocked noses may find it hard to feed and may keep coming off the breast. Sometimes babies pull away from the breast and cry — this may be because it increases in the pressure in their ears causing earache.
This is particularly common overnight or after a longer sleep. Babies may have a croaky, hoarse cry which is different to normal, indicating a sore throat. Paracetamol can be given to babies older than 3 months or 2 months after vaccinations. Ibuprofen can be given to babies older than 3 months.
Historically paracetamol and ibuprofen were taken together but NICE CG47 recommended that this is not evidence based practice. Keep the atmosphere around the child moist by using vapourisers, steam generators or a damp towel over a radiator. If the parents have any concerns over the well-being of the baby medical advice should be sought urgently. Contact the Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Medicines Information Service at the Women and Newborn Health Service for further information on the use of medications in breastfeeding mothers:.
This publication is provided for education and information purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical care. Information about a therapy, service, product or treatment does not imply endorsement and is not intended to replace advice from your healthcare professional. Readers should note that over time currency and completeness of the information may change. All users should seek advice from a qualified healthcare professional for a diagnosis and answers to their medical questions.
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Healthy living. Facebook Youtube Twitter. Home Healthy living Medications and breastfeeding. Medications and breastfeeding Many breastfeeding mums need to be treated with medicines, either for a few days to treat an acute illness or on an ongoing basis to treat a chronic illness. To some degree, medications transfer into breastmilk although the amount is generally quite low.
Most medicines are considered safe to take while breastfeeding. Tips to reduce the transfer of medications into breastmilk Avoid using medicines unless they are necessary. Your doctor will prescribe the lowest dose for your condition Think of ways to choose a dose that reduces how much is passed into breastmilk e.
To reduce the amount of medicine in the breastmilk, time your feed e. When taking medication Remember to watch for signs of possible side effects in your baby such as increased sleepiness, poor feeding, rash and severe diarrhoea. Commonly used medications Pain medications analgesics.
Paracetamol Paracetamol can be used safely during breastfeeding to treat mild pain or reduce fever. Aspirin Low doses of aspirin, less than mg daily, are considered safe to take. Larger doses should be avoided as they may be harmful to your breastfed infant. Medications containing codeine Medications containing codeine are no longer recommended for pain relief in breastfeeding mothers. Codeine metabolises to morphine in the body and a small number of people produce higher than expected morphine levels in their blood resulting in an increased risk of transfer to the infant via the breastmilk.
Alternative pain control medicines as mentioned above are recommended. Due to its low oral absorption after application, maternal blood concentrations are probably too low to produce any significant clinical effects in the breastfed infant. Benzocaine cough drops or lozenges with or without menthol are an excellent choice for cough relief in breastfeeding mothers. Common trade names: Cepacol. Menthol L3 : Numbing Agent. Commonly used for topical analgesics and sore throat relief.
Only minimal amounts of Menthol would be transferred into breast milk. Adverse effects to infants from breastfeeding are unlikely due to low relative dose and first-pass metabolism. There are no adequate and well controlled studies in breastfeeding women. Guaifenesin L2 : This is an expectorant used to loosen respiratory tract secretions. It does not suppress coughing. The poor efficacy of expectorants in general would suggest that they do not provide enough justification for use in breastfeeding mothers.
However, untoward effects to the infants have not been described. Common trade names: Robitussin, Mucinex. Honey L3. According to a study in , honey was more efficacious in treating cough symptoms in children than placebo and diphenhydramine, but was less efficacious than dextromethorphan. Honey should never be consumed by infants.
Dextromethorphan L3 : This is an antitussive drug that appears to work by elevating the cough threshold in the brain. It is the safest of the antitussives and unlikely to transfer into milk. Watch breastfed infants for drowsiness or poor feeding. Benzonatate prescription required Avoid when possible, L4 : Non-narcotic cough suppressant.
There are minimal pharmacokinetic data on this product, and no data on transfer to human milk. Milk transfer is expected to be low-moderate based on the medication size. Benzonatate is a very dangerous product when taken directly by a child. Due to this potential for severe toxicity at relatively low doses, this medication should be avoided in lactation.
Common trade names: Tesselon Perles. Codeine prescription required L3 : Although no longer available over the counter, drugs containing codeine are used to treat pain and cough. Codeine can cause respiratory depression when taken in high doses.
In general, if the mother is lethargic she should wait to breastfeed until she is alert, at which point codeine levels would be lower. Diphenhydramine L2 : Antihistamine. Diphenhydramine is an antihistamine that is often used in cough, cold, sinus, and allergy formulations.
Although the levels are low in breastmilk, this medication can cause sedation and therefore is not ideal in breastfeeding mothers.
If you are taking a sedating medication, be sure to have support in caring for your infant. There are many non-sedating antihistamines on the market, which are likely a better choice. There is some anecdotal evidence that diphenhydramine can suppress milk production, but this pattern is not supported by the medical literature. Common trade names: Benadryl, Tylenol PM. Chlorpheniramine L3 and Brompheniramine L3 : Antihistamine. These medicines are similar to diphenhydramine, but they have fewer studies about breast milk safety.
They are heavily sedating and not recommended. The non-sedating antihistamines mentioned above are still better choices. Common trade names: Aller-Chlor, C. Pseudoephedrine over-the-counter, but kept in pharmacy L3 : Decongestant. Pseudoephedrine is an adrenergic compound used as a nasal decongestant.
It does not have antihistamine properties. It is excreted into breast milk in low levels. Pseudoephedrine commonly appears in combination products. An excellent alternative would be a nasal decongestant like oxymetazoline Afrin-L3 discussed below. Common trade names: Sudafed, Claritin-D.
Phenylephrine L3 : Decongestant. Phenylephrine is a decongestant that is commonly added to cold mixtures and nasal sprays for use in colds, flu, and congestion. Levels in milk have not been reported, but experiments have shown that it has poor oral absorption in infants. It is used to dry up secretions.
Sedation is an unwanted side effect when using it as an allergy medication, but can be an advantage to help with sleep. Doxylamine L3 : This is another sedating antihistamine, similar to diphenhydramine, which is more commonly used for its sedative properties.
There are no good studies about how much of this drug gets into breast milk. In infants exposed to doxylamine, there are reports of sedation, apnea, and paradoxical CNS stimulation. If you are taking a sedating medication like diphenhydramine, be sure to have support in caring for your infant. Use caution with this medication. Common trade name: Unisom. Melatonin L3 : Melatonin is a normal hormone secreted by the pineal gland in the human brain, mostly at night.
It may either induce a sleep-like pattern in humans, or be the result of sleep; the evidence is not clear. It is definitely passed into human milk and some experts believe it is responsible for entraining the newborn brain to reset its circadian clock to that of the mother by communicating the time of day to the newborn. The effect of orally administered melatonin on newborns is unknown, but no adverse reactions have been reported so far.
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