Knowledge, attitudes and practices of health professionals and women towards medication use in breastfeeding: A review

Source: International Breastfeeding Journal

International Breastfeeding Journal, 26 August 2011, 6:11 doi:10.1186/1746-4358-6-11.

Click here to read full text.

Date of publication: Sept 2011

In a nutshell: This article reviews the literature on knowledge, attitudes and practice of both health professionals and women  in relation to medication and breastfeeding.  It found that generally knowledge was poor and that attitude and practice was largely guided by experience.

Publication type: Journal article

Length of publication:  43 pages

You will need a NHS Athens account for full text access to the journal article.  Please contact your local NHS Library for help creating an athens account.

Folllow this link to find your local NHS Library.

Antidepressant medication use during breastfeeding

Source:  Clinical Obstetrics & Gynecology

Clinical Obstetrics & Gynecology, Sept 2009, 52 (3), pp.483-97

Follow this link for the abstract

Date of publication: Sept 2009

Publication type:  Literature review

In a nutshell:

This is a review of 31 papers in English between June 2002 and December 2008 regarding  antidepressant drugs and breastfeeding looking at the clinical outcomes in the infants. The search found that Sertraline, paroxetine, nortriptyline, and imipramine are the “most evidence-based medications for use during breastfeeding”.

Length of publication: 14 pages

Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article.

Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.

Breastfeeding and Swine ‘Flu Information

Source: The Breastfeeding Network

Follow this link for information.

Date of publication: April 2009

Publication type:  Practice guidelines

In a nutshell: Factsheet and guidance on swine ‘flu, anti-viral medication and breastfeeding.

Length of publication: 1 web page, linking to further information
.

Psychotropic drugs in lactation

Source:  Canadian Journal of Clinical Pharmacology

For fulltext link here

For Abstract link here

Year of publication: 2009

Publication type: Journal article

In a nutshell:

Breast feeding is accompanied by numerous clinical and psychosocial advantages for both the mother and her child. Since most drugs will pass into human milk in some amount, the lactating mother who requires pharmacotherapy adds complexity to the risk-benefit assessment for clinicians making treatment decisions. In the case of psychotropic medications this issue is particularly worrisome since women who are not well controlled will have impaired bonding with their child.
Part of the continuum of treating women with psychiatric disease in pregnancy concerns the treatment of women after delivery, and for many, this will include drug treatment during lactation. The goal is to describe the issues and outline what is currently known about the use of psychotropic drugs in breastfeeding women.

Length of publication: 9 pages

Risks/ Safety of Psychotropic Medication use during Pregnancy

Source: Canadian Journal of Clinical Pharmacology

For fulltext link here

For Abstract link here

Year of publication: 2009

Publication type: Journal article

In a nutshell:

Psychiatric disorders are relatively common among women of childbearing age, who may be prescribed psychotropic drugs. There remains a high level of anxiety regarding their safety among patients and healthcare providers alike, most likely because of the conflicting studies that have been published in the literature and warnings from government organizations.
Consequently, treating a psychiatric disorder during pregnancy with pharmacotherapy, is a complex decision making process, which has to be made between the pregnant woman and her health care provider. The objective of this brief review is to discuss the current models for studying the use of drugs in pregnancy and to provide current information on the safety/risk of psychotropic drugs used in pregnancy.

Length of publication: 8 pages