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FDA Annouces Serious Codeine Warning for Nursing Mothers |
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US Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) has announced that breastfeeding mothers who take codeine could be placing their new infants at serious risk of morphine overdose if the mother is an ultra-rapid metabolizer of codeine. This new warning is especially relevant after the tragic death of a 13-day old breastfed baby who died from morphine overdose. The levels of morphine in the breast milk had been abnormally high after the mother took small doses of codeine for pain after childbirth. Tests conducted revealed the mother was ultra-rapid codeine metabolize. This is a rare but very serious side effect in breastfeeding infants whose mothers are taking codeine and are ultra-rapid metabolizes of codeine.
It is very important that mothers who are taking narcotic pain relievers know how to identify signs of overdose in infants. Breastfeeding mothers who are prescribed or taking codeine need to carefully watch their infants for signs of morphine overdose and should seek medical attention immediately if the infant shows increased sleepiness, difficulty breastfeeding, problems breathing, or is limp. Nursing mothers may also experience similar overdose symptoms such as extreme sleepiness, confusion, shallow breathing and constipation. When prescribing codeine to nursing mothers for pain, the lowest effective dose for the shortest period of time should be given and the mother and new baby should closely monitored by medical staff and caregivers.
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