Um, my newborn son was put on phenobarb at birth....and we had to go
daily to have levels done...my doc said phenobarb was an old, proven
drug....better for infants with cautious parents!  It was given to sedate
him post op ( he was 11# and born with collapsed lung) and reduce his
need for oxygen by keeping him still.  Or so I was told.  *I* was glad
when we took him off at 5 days--whole different personality emerged!
Long half-life so took quite a while to get it all out of his system.

If it is given directly to neonates, seems reasonable that the mom could
safely take it...

Karen Zeretzke, MEd, IBCLC
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
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On Sun, 29 Jun 1997 13:20:43 -0400 "Anne K. Pfannkoch"
<[log in to unmask]> writes:
>Hello friends,
>Can any of you give me documentation on the safety of a mom with
>epilepsy nursing her baby while being treated with phenabarbitol? The
>person
>who thinks it is unsafe is the MOM -- her doctor is encouraging her to
>try and see how much the baby is affected by the drug. I think if I
>had documentation from some literature she would feel reassured that
>she is doing right for her baby.
>
>Thank you all.
>
>Anne Pfannkoch RN
>Childbirth educator
>~
>