How Do We Check the Safety of Psychiatric Medications for Breastfeeding Moms?

How Do We Check the Safety of Psychiatric Medications for Breastfeeding Moms?

Checking if psychiatric meds are safe for breastfeeding involves looking at a mix of drug data, real-life results, and expert advice. Here’s what goes into it:

A tender moment captured as a mother cradles her newborn during feeding, showcasing the warmth and closeness of their bond.

• Measured Drug Levels: Researchers look at how much of the drug is in mom's blood, breast milk, and sometimes the baby's blood. If the baby's blood shows little to no drug even when it's in the milk, that's a good sign for safety.

  
  

• Milk-to-Plasma (M/P) Ratio: This number shows how much of the drug moves from mom’s blood to her milk. You get it by dividing the drug amount in milk by the amount in blood. If this ratio is less than 1, it usually means not much drug is getting into the milk, which is good news.

  
  

• Relative Infant Dose (RID): RID takes into account the M/P ratio and the weights of both mom and baby to estimate how much drug the baby is getting from the milk. If this dose is less than 10% of what mom takes (adjusted for weight), it's reassuring.

  
  

• Case Series & Adverse Event Reports: Doctors look at reports and studies on any side effects in babies, like sleepiness or feeding problems. They check how often these happen and how serious they are compared to how many babies were exposed.

  
  

• Consensus and Guidelines: Groups like the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), and LactMed regularly update their advice based on all the data and real-world experiences.

  
  

To make sense of it all, Uguz has come up with a safety scoring system that rates how safe these meds are for breastfeeding. It looks at things like the number of studies, the highest RID, baby blood levels, and any reported side effects. The score goes from 0 to 10, with higher numbers meaning better safety and more confidence in using the meds while breastfeeding.

This detailed approach helps doctors and moms decide together on using psychiatric meds during breastfeeding, finding a balance between the benefits for mom’s mental health and the safety of the baby.

Like, Share, Follow and Subscribe for more original content by Tally Reproductive Psychiatrist, Jamie Lee Sorenson, MD on Women’s Mental Health and the Bendy Boy Mom life.

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Disclaimer: Posts are for education and entertainment only. No medical advice given. This information is for general knowledge and not meant to diagnose or treat any conditions.

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