Prescription Drug Use
Should mothers who use prescription drugs breastfeed?
Most medications likely to be prescribed to the nursing mother should
have no effect on milk supply or on infant well-being. The American
Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) maintains an
extensive list of
prescription and non-prescription drugs, indicating their compatibility
with breastfeeding.*
The CDC's National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities provides additional information on the topic of medication use and breastfeeding.
For additional information, see the World Health Organization's resources on child nutrition.*
Please note: Some of these publications are available for download only as *.pdf files. These files require Adobe Acrobat Reader in order to be viewed. Please review the information on downloading and using Acrobat Reader software.
* Links to non-Federal organizations found at this site are provided solely as a service to our users. These links do not constitute an endorsement of these organizations or their programs by CDC or the Federal Government, and none should be inferred. CDC is not responsible for the content of the individual organization Web pages found at these links.
Page last updated: May 22, 2007
Content Source: Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion