Perianesthetic Considerations for the Breastfeeding Mother

Breastfeeding has been shown to be beneficial in the development of infants, but sometimes, the breastfeeding mother may require anesthesia. It is important for perianesthesia caregivers to understand how the breastfed infant may be affected by the anesthetic medications received by the breastfeedin...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of perianesthesia nursing 2016-08, Vol.31 (4), p.317-329
Main Authors: Smathers, Amber Brook, Collins, Shawn, Hewer, Ian
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
anesthesia
Anesthetics - pharmacokinetics
Breast Feeding
breast milk
breastfeeding
drug transfer
Education, Nursing, Continuing
Female
Humans
Infant
Lactation
Milk, Human - metabolism
newborn
Nursing
perianesthesia
Perioperative Nursing
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Summary:Breastfeeding has been shown to be beneficial in the development of infants, but sometimes, the breastfeeding mother may require anesthesia. It is important for perianesthesia caregivers to understand how the breastfed infant may be affected by the anesthetic medications received by the breastfeeding mother. This article reviews current literature on drug transfer into breast milk and specifically how anesthetic drugs may affect breastfed infants. The pharmacokinetics of drug transfer during lactation is described as well as considerations for perianesthesia providers when caring for breastfeeding patients. The results of this literature review provide evidence that there is little risk to the breastfed infant after the mother receives surgical anesthesia. However, the type of drug, the dosage, the timing of treatment, and the infant's age and health must be taken into consideration.
ISSN:1089-9472
1532-8473
DOI:10.1016/j.jopan.2014.09.006