Study: Breast-feeding moms can take medication

Most breast-feeding moms can safely take the medications and vaccines they need, without fear they'll harm a nursing infant, according to a new report from a leading group of U.S. pediatricians.

The report, from the American Academy of Pediatrics in consultation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, describes proposed changes to drug labels. The new labels would replace the current "Nursing Mothers" section with a heading called "Lactation," which would give much more detailed information about a drug's transfer to breast milk and potential to harm a breast-fed baby.

The proposed changes are part of a push by the FDA to require drugmakers to study how medications may affect breast-feeding and to better communicate that information to women and their doctors.

"Because we know that breast-feeding has both developmental and health benefits for the mom and the baby, we are encouraging research in this area so physicians can make informed decisions about how best to treat their patients," said study author Dr. Hari Cheryl Sachs, a pediatrician and leader of the pediatric and maternal health team within the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

Breast-feeding advocates cheered the new report, published online Monday in the journal Pediatrics.

Most drug labels now have a blanket legal statement that cautions against taking nearly any medication while pregnant, something that irks Thomas Hale, director of the InfantRisk Center at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. Hale has been doing research on the transfer of medications to breast milk for more than 30 years. -- HealthDay