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I have a client asking me and can't seem to find any information about it. Thanks! - Jessica Barton, IBCLC
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Dear nyakanyasko,
Dietary supplements are considered L4's due to the lack of scientific data and are not approved by the FDA. Dr Hale states that there are literally thousands of herbal products and supplements used today. Many are safe and some are unsafe for breastfeeding mothers. Consult an authority in herbal products before ingesting these drugs while pregnant or breastfeeding.
Sincerely,
Cindy Pride, MSN, CPNP
TTUHSC InfantRisk Center -
Is there any updated information on this or do you still stand with the general supplement caution? Thank you.Comment
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KHenryBFPC:
I still stand with the general supplement caution. We simply don't know how much of most of these supplements transfer into milk. For instance, there is quite a bit of L-glutamine present in milk. But what happens if you were to supplement the mom with 10 times the normal range. Will milk levels increase 10 fold? Wouldn't this be hazardous? So you see, it is one thing to supplement with recommended daily allowances of substances, but you might get into trouble when you supplement with exceedingly large doses. We simply don't know when and how this would occur in a breastfeeding infant.
And lastly, the evidence supporting the need for "most" of these supplements is poor. Why then take a chance with the infants health, without having good supporting evidence that the supplement is really necessary. I hear every day someone taking some kind of supplement, because they read it in a herbal book, or a friend told them it might work.
With a baby on the breast and ingesting just about everything mom takes, that is not the time to go experimenting around with exceedingly high levels of substances for which we have limited evidence of their transmission into moms milk.
Mother nature made milk virtually perfect. Adding all these supplements just makes it worse.
Tom Hale PH.D.Comment
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