Medication and Breast-Feeding- A Special Note

Many women with asthma prefer to breast-feed their babies. You can do this safely. It's true that nearly all medications enter breast milk, but the amount of medicine usually is low. It's rare that a baby is affected. The American Academy of Pediatrics has reported that a range of asthma drugs are safe for mothers of nursing infants, including terbutaline, a quick reliever, and prednisone, a long-term controller. One drug, theophylline, may cause vomiting or shakiness in sensitive newborns. As with drugs during pregnancy, it's a good idea to ask your doctor which asthma medications have a history of safe use during breast-feeding.