Can you take antibiotics while breastfeeding? | The State
Breastfeeding is a delicate period in the life of the mother because she has to be aware of what she consumes and its possible effect on breast milk. As Healthline indicates, antibiotics are some of the elements that could affect breastfeeding.
Medicines are safe for mothers infants in most cases, but there are precautions that still need to be taken so that its use is not harmful to her or the baby. We expand this information a little further below.
Antibiotics during breastfeeding: yes or no?
In most cases, antibiotics are safe for mothers and their babies during breastfeeding. However, it is worth clarifying that all of them become part of breast milk in varying degrees.
Once consumed, most antibiotics become part of the bloodstream, and to some extent, everything in the blood is part of what makes up your blood flow.
However, the amount of antibiotics in the blood is much higher than what is in breast milkTherefore, the vast majority of antibiotics do not represent a real risk for the mother or for her baby.
However, there are exceptions to the above, so you should consult with the baby’s pediatrician before administering a new antibiotic to verify that there will be no risks associated with it.
Baby’s age as a risk factor
One of the important factors in determining the baby’s risk from antibiotics is age. It’s known that newborn babies are more vulnerable to antibiotics than those who are already a few months old, or those who have already exceeded the year.
The above also applies to premature babies compared to those who completed their gestation cycle. Being so, and as in the previous case, it is advisable to speak with the pediatrician before the administration of antibiotics.
What antibiotics are safe?
The question about which antibiotics are safe is usually asked after evaluating the characteristics of each baby, such as weight, age, family history, health conditions, and other factors.
However, there are a number of medications that are generally safe for breastfeeding women and also for their children, with few cases where their use is contraindicated. These antibiotics are:
- Penicillins, such as amoxicillin and ampicillin.
- Cephalosporins, such as cephalin.
This information will be useful to you as it illustrates the precautions and harmful effects that antibiotics could have if you are breastfeeding. Fortunately, there are few cases in which these effects are manifested.
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