How will taking antibiotics while breastfeeding affect breast milk output and infant health? What medicine is safe, what medicine is not? The following article will help mothers answer these questions thoroughly
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1. Take antibiotics while breastfeeding: Which medicine is safe?
2. What kinds of antibiotics should be careful for breastfeeding mothers!
3. Does taking antibiotics lose milk?
Any foods a mother eats while breastfeeding can affect breast milk, especially antibiotics. So, except for cases of force majeure, most mothers will try to limit antibiotics when breastfeeding. However, according to experts, although it can affect breast milk, not all drugs are absorbed by the baby.
MarryBaby reviews some commonly used antibiotics and the effects of these drugs on breastfeeding, please refer!
Not all antibiotics adversely affect breast milk
Antibiotics can be prescribed to treat a variety of diseases. With the following antibiotics, mothers can safely use them, because they are excreted very little through breast milk.
- Fluconazole: Antifungal
Miconazole: Treatment of yeast infections
Clotrimazole: Treatment of yeast and fungal infections
Penicillins: Treatment of bacterial infections
- Cephalosporin: Treatment of infections of the lungs, ear, skin, urinary tract, throat and bone
- Acyclovir and valacyclovir: Treatment of infections caused by herpes
- Erythromycin: Treatment of skin and respiratory infections
Note: Breastfed infants who take antibiotics such as penicillins, cephalosporins, macrolides, and aminoglycosides often have changes in gut microbiota, leading to loose stools and diarrhea. However, you don't need to worry too much because this is only a temporary effect.
Infant feces: Baby health messages In the early days after birth, infant feces are called checre. Gum stools can be a bit difficult to clean, but the appearance of it is a sign that your baby's digestive system is working properly.
- Tetracycline is indicated for short-term treatment without adverse effects. However, if used for long-term treatment, such as acne will not be safe.
- Metronidazole (brand name Flagyl) is indicated for the treatment of bacterial vaginosis that can affect the milk taste and color. In addition, breastfed babies who are taking this medicine may experience diarrhea.
- Nitrofurantoin (Furadantin, Macrodantin), though only excreted in small amounts through breast milk, can cause hemolytic anemia due to G6PD deficiency in the newborn. It can also change the color of mother's urine, tears, and milk.
Vancomycin and teicoplanin are used to treat MRSA resistant infections. The side effects of these drugs are likely to worsen, so check blood count, liver and kidney function. Treatment for MRSA often takes the form of intramuscular and intravenous medications.
- Chloramphenicol is rarely prescribed and indicated during lactation, because the drug can cause skeleton chemistry and cause "gray syndrome in babies", a serious disorder affecting liver function enzymes, Children with low blood pressure, lack of oxygen, even dogs can cause death.
- Doxycycline or minocycline antibiotics: If you are breastfeeding your baby, you should avoid using these antibiotics because the drug will be excreted in breast milk and affect the newborn, which can cause poisoning and staining of teeth. , reduce bone growth.
In addition to worrying about the effects of drugs on the health of their babies , mothers who take antibiotics while breastfeeding have another worry: worry of losing milk. Unlike the worry of postpartum mothers, according to experts, if you have a health problem that requires antibiotic treatment, you should still use medicine to quickly recover from the disease. Avoid letting the disease become serious and affect health. Some antibiotics are still prescribed for breastfeeding mothers.
In addition, according to experts, taking antibiotics can make mothers less milk, but not complete milk loss. You just need to feed your baby regularly, stimulate the secretion of milk, and try to eat a good quality, drink plenty of water.
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