Sorry I took so this long to post an explanation for my "epidural makes no difference to breastfeeding" information given in an earlier post.
  I received the information from the Tx Dept. of Health Lactation Management course. Pamela Berens, MD, IBCLC an OB/Gyn gave a presentation on Maternal & Infant Pharmacology & Toxicology, in which pain control was just one of many issues discussed. Her information on epidurals and breastfeeding was in the context of comparing it to other forms of peripartum medical pain management such as Demerol,meperidine(or pethidine) and morphine sulphate and compared to no pain medicine. She cited several studies and they are too many to list in detail.
  She is a credible professional and obvious breastfeeding advocate so I have no reason to doubt her interpretation of the research which (suprisingly, to me) indicates epidural analgesia results in no statistically significant difference in breastfeeding rates/duration vs. non-epidural groups. Her ultimate observation was there are just many studies with conflicting results and that this area deserves further investigation. She presented in her lecture that the current body of research does not support the theory that epidurals negatively impact breastfeeding rates/duration. The research includes many different types of studies and obviously anyone who follows research knows that studies can be flawed in so many ways from design to confounding factors to participants. 
  Here are brief citations of the studies she discussed:
  Albani, A et al, Minerva Anestesiol:1999; Riordan, J. Et al Hum Lact:2000; Halpern, 1999; Baumgarder, 2002; Radzyminski, 2003; Henderson, 2003
   
  HTH, 
  Mary Herrington RN
  Labor & Delivery
  St. Lukes CMC
  The Woodlands, Texas



		
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