As 70 percent of new mothers take prescription medications after giving birth, researchers have discovered these drugs may alter the composition of women’s breast milk, raising new questions about infant nutrition.
However, these changes fall within safe limits, according to the researchers.
High Rates of Medication Use Among Breastfeeding Mothers
The new research, published in JAMA Network Open on Tuesday and conducted by a team from the University of California–San Diego, found that over 50 percent of women take prescribed medications following childbirth. The study analyzed 384 milk samples collected from breastfeeding mothers in the United States and Canada between October 2014 and January 2024….