From an Old Lactnet, 1997, by Jack Newman MD. Betty, see below. You can do
a search for the word anesthesia in the archives, if you wish more
information, or get the list of drugs and look them up in Dr. Hale's book.
Tom Hale's address has cortex in it..so...if you want to know what he has
said about bf and anesthesia in the archives

You could do a

Search anesthesia in lactnet where sender contains cortex

to [log in to unmask]

to get all the posts where Dr. Tom Hale (whose address has cortex in it)
has discussed anesthesia issues. Of course, it is always best to get the
drugs to be used and then look them up in reputable books and sources, such
as Tom Hale's book Medications in Mothers' Milk.

or
search anesthesia in lactnet where sender contains newman

to
[log in to unmask]

to find out what Jack Newman MD has said..

or bla bla bla...you get it.

When one considers the amount of medication given for anesthesia to
PREGNANT woman during childbirth, I find this statement that a mother of a
healthy bf 7 mo old has to wean for 2 weeks after anesthesia to be laughable.

If you go to http://www.asahq.org/homepage3.html, you will find the
homepage of the American Society of Anesthesiologists. This might have some
information of use.  Additionally, there is a study:

Spigset O. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand 1994:83:94-103. Anaesthetic agents
and excretion in breastmilk...."Most anaesthetics are rapidly cleared from
the mother and, consequently, it should be possible to allow suckling as
soon as
practically feasible after surgery".

I would recommend that your client ask for a breastfeeding-compatible drug
combination. There are these combinations available, and if your client
makes it known that she is breastfeeding and that there is a priority
there, they will more likely work to help her find something that will work
well for her.

Stopping breastfeeding for two weeks after anesthesia for the mom is
sacrificing bf on the altar of ignorance. Good thing your client has you
looking out for her.

To quote Jack Newman MD.

Kathleen



Date:    Tue, 1 Jul 1997 11:22:08 -0500
From:    Jack Newman <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: anesthesia and breastfeeding

The mother can breastfeed as soon as she is awake and up to it.  There
is absolutely no concern with the majority of the medications used for
general anaesthesia.  (By the way, hernia repair can be done under local
anaesthesia.  I know, I had it).

References have been given on this site before for anaesthesia and
breastfeeding, but here they are again:

Spigset O. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand 1994:83:94-103. Anaesthetic agents
and excretion in breastmilk.

"Most anaesthetics are rapidly cleared from the mother and,
consequently, it should be possible to allow suckling as soon as
practically feasible after surgery".

Borgatta L, Jenny RW, Gruss L, Ong C, and Barad D. Clincial Significance
of methohexital, meperidine (demerol) and diazepam in breastmilk. J
Clin Pharmacol 1994;37:186-92

"The amounts of methohexital, meperidine, and diazepam excreted into
breastmilk do not warrant interruption of breastfeeding".

Jack Newman, MD, FRCPC

----

Kathleen B. Bruce, BSN, IBCLC co-owner Lactnet, Indep. Consultant
mailto:[log in to unmask]
http://homepages.together.net/~kbruce/kbblact.html
LACTNET Archives http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/lactnet.html

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