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June 11, 2007


Codeine prescribed for postnatal pain can produce deadly
concentrations of morphine in breast milk.

A lawsuit over the death of Toronto newborn Tariq Jamieson, who died
as a result of opiate toxicity in his mother's breast milk, has
renewed the debate over prescribing such drugs as Tylenol 3 to
breastfeeding mothers.

Tariq's mother Rani was prescribed Tylenol 3 for lingering episiotomy
pain. Although Tariq was initially healthy, he developed increasing
lethargy after the seven-day mark, and after 11 days he was brought
to a pediatrician due to concerns about his skin color and poor
feeding. Two days later, Tariq died.

Tariq was found to have high blood levels of acetaminophen, and a
blood concentration of morphine six times higher than would normally
be considered safe in a neonate. Tylenol 3 contains both
acetaminophen and codeine, which is metabolized to morphine in the
body. However, not everyone metabolizes codeine at the same rate.
Rani Jamieson was an ultra-rapid metabolizer of codeine to morphine,
which means that the opiate built up in her breastmilk very fast.

While ultra-rapid metabolization of codeine occurs in about 1 percent
of Caucasians, it occurs in as much as 30 percent of some African and
Asian populations.

National Review of Medicine June 15, 2007

Dr. Mercola's Comment:

Mothers must use extreme caution when taking any drugs while
breastfeeding, because those drugs could be transferred to your baby.

Prescription drugs like Tylenol 3 are not the only danger. The
excessive acetaminophen you can get from regular Tylenol, even
without the codeine, can be extremely dangerous. Because some 5
billion over-the-counter medications are sold in the United States
annually, many believe they're safe.

But you, or your baby, could suffer from serious side effects and
possibly die unintentionally if you don't take them with the proper
care.

Even environmental chemicals like rocket fuel are sadly now being
found in breast milk. But nonetheless, breastfeeding is without a
doubt the healthiest way to feed your baby. Breastfed infants have
added protection against:

Heart disease
Immune system cancers such as lymphoma
Bowel diseases such as Crohn's disease
Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
Asthma and allergies
So although this child died from breastfeeding, that in no way
discounts its value as breastfeeding is not only incredibly good for
your baby, it's good for moms, too!