FDA Warns Codeine Use By Nursing Mothers Dangerous To Baby

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Breast-feeding mothers who take codeine and break down the drug very quickly may put their infants at higher risk of a morphine overdose, U.S. health officials warned on Friday. Codeine, an ingredient in many prescription pain relievers and over-the-counter cough syrups, breaks down into morphine in the body. The Food and Drug Administration said morphine overdoses in infants are very rare but serious.

WASHINGTON - Breast-feeding mothers who take codeine and break down the drug very quickly may put their infants at higher risk of a morphine overdose, U.S. health officials warned on Friday. Codeine, an ingredient in many prescription pain relievers and over-the-counter cough syrups, breaks down into morphine in the body. The Food and Drug Administration said morphine overdoses in infants are very rare but serious.


The agency urged doctors to prescribe the lowest dose of codeine for the shortest amount of time to nursing mothers to relieve pain or a cough.


Nursing women who are taking codeine should watch their babies for signs of morphine overdose, such as increased sleepiness, difficult with breathing or breast-feeding or limpness, the FDA said. Parents should seek medical attention immediately if any of those symptoms develop, the agency advised.


Mothers also may experience symptoms such as extreme sleepiness, confusion, shallow breathing or severe constipation, the FDA said.


The agency said it had asked manufacturers of codeine products to add information about the potential for morphine overdoses to the drug labels.


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