breastfeeding in practice Flashcards
how long should babies be ideally breast fed for?
babies should e exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months
complementary foods added from 6 months of age
what % of babeis are exclusively breastfed until they are 6 months old? why?
1% lack of support personal issues social pressures returning to work personal preference
what is the pharmacist’s role on breastfeeding?
advice on feeding
OTC medicines and breastfeeding
POM medicines and breastfeeding
what advice should be given about breast feeding?
- Skin to skin contact
- Colostrum
- Baby may want to feed often, even every hour
- Fewer feeds once breasts produce ‘mature’ milk after a few days
- The more a woman breastfeeds, the more milk is made
what is colostrum? what does it contain?
- First milk produced
- Contains antibodies, WBCs
- High in carbohydrates and proteins, low in fat
- Delivers nutrients in a very concentrated, low volume form
- Mild laxative effect
what does mature milk contain?
- Carbs, proteins, fats, fluid
- Vitamins and minerals
- WBC
- Stem cells
- Enzymes
- Growth factors
- Hormones
- Antibodies
what is the difference between formulation and mature milk?
formulation only has carbs, proteins fats fluids vit and minerals
how often should you breastfeed?
more often during the first few weeks- at least 8 times/ 24 hours
feed you baby on demand and look for cues your baby is hungry
avoid feeding schedules
you cant overfeed a breastfed baby
milk supply adjusts depending on babys needs
how does the breastfeeding pump work?
electric or manual pump extracts milk from breast
when may someone need to pump and dump?
if they have been drinking
if they want food for later
etc
what do you have to consider when taking medicines while breast feeding?
- However, avoid unnecessary drug use
- Consider benefit/risk ratio for both mother and infant
- Timing of dose
- Route of administration
- Pharmacokinetics
- Age of infant/relative infant dose
- Avoid newer drugs where possible
- Those licensed for use in infants
where to look for help for drug interactions?
breastfeediing network. org.uk
what otc medicines for coughs and colds are safe to take when breastfeeding?
ibuprofen, paracetamol, throat sprays, lozenges, pholcodeine, simple linctus
what otc medicines are safe to take for hayfever?
sodium cromoglicate, non-sedating antihistamines
what indigestion remedies are safe to take when breastfeeding?
PPIs, ranitidine
