A Case of Toxic Breast-feeding?

Pediatr Emerg Care. 2019 Jan;35(1):e9-e10. doi: 10.1097/PEC.0000000000001009.

Abstract

Opiates are frequently prescribed postpartum for pain relief after cesarean delivery, episiotomies, and headaches. It is estimated that greater than 30% of breast-feeding mothers in the United States are prescribed opiates for pain relief associated with childbirth. Many opiates are readily transferred to human milk, although life-threatening events are rare. We report a 6-day-old breast-feeding infant whose mother was taking hydromorphone for pain relief from a cesarean delivery and whose clinical course was suggestive of opiate toxicity. This case emphasizes the importance of thorough medication history taking in postpartum breast-feeding mothers whose infants may present with symptoms of opiate toxicity. Semisynthetic opiates are frequently not detected on emergency department urine toxicology screens. The pertinent literature is reviewed.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Analgesics, Opioid / poisoning*
  • Breast Feeding / adverse effects*
  • Humans
  • Hydromorphone / poisoning*
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Milk, Human
  • Mothers
  • Naloxone / therapeutic use
  • Narcotic Antagonists / therapeutic use
  • Opioid-Related Disorders / diagnosis*
  • Opioid-Related Disorders / drug therapy
  • Postpartum Period

Substances

  • Analgesics, Opioid
  • Narcotic Antagonists
  • Naloxone
  • Hydromorphone