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Date: | Sat, 4 Jan 1997 10:21:40 -0500 |
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There should not be any specific problems breastfeeding with lupus.
As usual, the problems come up in association with medication. Often
patients with lupus are on large dose steroids and sometimes on
antineoplastic medication to keep the disease in check. At least with
prednisone, the mother should be able to continue with breastfeeding.
With drugs such as methotrexate, though most would advise against it,
I think that the evidence is not there that short term courses would
be harmful to the baby, but the decision should be the mother's.
There is no evidence that the immunologic abnormalities associated
with lupus cause any problems for the baby.
As usual, the conservative approach is to encourage breastfeeding,
unless there is definite evidence that breastfeeding is a problem, not
the other way around.
Jack Newman, MD, FRCPC
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