I am a junior nursing student at the University of North Dakota
and recently attended a nursing student convention where I heard a
presentation on methamphetamine. This sparked my interest on the effects
of meth use while breast feeding. I wanted to find more information on
the topic but found a limited availability of professional resources on
the topic. I also found little recent discussion in the LACTNET archives.
I was only able to find three separate studies related to meth use
and lactation/pregnancy and all were by the same group of authors.
Slamberova, Charousova, and Pometlova (2005a) discussed relationships
between methamphetamine administration during gestation and maternal
behavior as demonstrated in rats. This study found a decrease in nursing
and a decrease in active maternal behavior in the mothers that were given
daily doses of meth during gestation. A second study by Slamberova et al
(2005b) found similar findings, and also found that rats injected with
methamphetamine had a decrease in the blanket position of active nursing,
but increased passive nursing. The most recent study by Slamberova et al
(2006) demonstrated that prenatal exposure to methamphetamine in rats
impairs the development of postural motor movements during the first 3
weeks after birth, but does not affect physical or sexual maturity. These
studies related to the effects methamphetamine has on maternal behaviors
or the effect of prenatal exposure on infants. However, I was interested
in finding out more information on the effect meth would have on the baby
if transferred through the mother’s breast milk.
So my question is what are your experiences with mother’s that
breast feed while using meth? Have you seen any adverse effects on the
babies? And also, as professionals what do you recommend to these
mothers? Do the risks of breast feeding while using methamphetamine
outweigh the benefits?
Thanks, Erin
References
Slamberova, R., Charousova, P., & Pometlova, M. (2005a). Methamphetamine
administration during gestation impairs maternal behavior. Developmental
Psychobiology, 46(1), 57- 65.
Slamberova, R., Charousova, P., & Pometlova, M. (2005b). Maternal
behavior is impaired by methamphetamine administered during pre-
mating, gestation and lactation. Reproductive Toxicology, 20(1), 103-110.
Slamberova, R., Charousova, P., & Pometlova, M. (2006). Postnatal
development of rat pups is altered by prenatal methamphetamine
exposure. Progress in Neuro-Psycopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry, 30
(1), 82-88.
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