title: Medications and breast-feeding: Current concepts.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the various factors that come into play when a breast-feeding mother is taking medications, including use of prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, recreational drugs, galactogogues, and herbal remedies and to provide a framework used for counseling breast-feeding women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Community and hospital pharmacy and health care settings.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consultative services provided to breast-feeding mothers who had been prescribed or were using medications.
  
  
  METHODS
  Use of pharmacokinetic factors, maternal and child factors, a list of questions to ask breast-feeding mothers, and a stepwise approach to counsel breast-feeding mothers on the compatibility of using medications while breast-feeding.
  
  
  RESULTS
  By positive intervention of pharmacists and health care providers, up to 1 million breast-feeding mothers, who must use medications, can continue to breast-feed while taking medications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Objectively weighing the benefits of drugs and breast-feeding versus the risks of drugs and not breast-feeding, in most cases, allows for pharmacists to give current and practical advice to mothers and other health professionals who counsel mothers.
authors.affiliation: Food and Drug Administration, Rockville, MD, USA. frank.nice@fda.hhs.gov
authors.forename: Frank J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Nice
authors.forename: Amy C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Luo
mesh_terms: D001942:Breast Feeding; D037001:Directive Counseling; D005260:Female; D056669:Galactogogues / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D010593:Pharmaceutical Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010595:Pharmacists / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010607:Pharmacy Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D055553:Prescription Drugs / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D024382:Professional Role
chemical_list: D056669:Galactogogues; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs; D055553:Prescription Drugs