Doctors have been prescribing Codeine for postpartum pain management for
many years, and, until recently, it was considered safe to breastfeed
while taking the opioid. But the death of an infant exposed to Codeine
through breast-milk has many health care providers questioning the
safety of the drug when used by breastfeeding mothers. Because of the
potential risks, some doctors have begun the practice of prescribing Oxycodone as an alternative to Codeine; however, a new study soon to be
published in
The Journal of Pediatrics finds that oxycodone is no safer for breastfed infants than codeine.The levels of Oxycodone in breast milk strongly correlated with plasma
levels, suggesting that Oxycodone persisted in the breast milk of some
mothers. Therefore, it is important to address the neonatal safety of Oxycodone during breastfeeding.
