Codeine Safety Concerns for Breastfeeding Mothers
August 18, 2007 by Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor
Filed under breastfeeding, health of the baby, medication
The FDA has issued a warning about the use of codeine by nursing mothers. The agency notes that breastfeeding mothers have used codeine safely for many years, and codeine is generally considered the safest narcotic drug for pain relief after a mother gives birth. However, infants are at risk of morphine overdose if their mothers happen to be “ultra-rapid metabolizers” of codeine. Certain women have a genetic trait that results in the ultra-rapid metabolization of codeine and thus higher-than-normal levels of morphine in the mothers’ systems. According to WebMD:
Ultra-fast codeine metabolism occurs in people who have a mutation in the …read more
