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Section 2. Recommendations for Care of Children in Special Circumstances
HUMAN MILK
Antimicrobial Agents in Human Milk
Antimicrobial agents often are prescribed for lactating women. Although these drugs may appear in milk, the potential risk to an infant must be weighed against the known benefits of continued breastfeeding. As a general guideline, an antimicrobial agent is safe to administer to a lactating woman if it is safe to administer to an infant. The AAP Committee on Drugs has reviewed the risks to infants of specific antimicrobial agents taken by lactating mothers.
1 Recommendations are included in Table 2.5 (p 129). Although important exceptions exist, only in rare cases will interruption of breastfeeding be necessary because of maternal medications. When treatment with metronidazole is indicated for a lactating mother, the infants exposure can be minimized by alteration of the dosing schedule and temporary
Related Article
Red Book 2006 2006: 678-698.