Maternal Benzodiazepine Use Does Not Cause CNS Depression in Breast-Feeding Infants

Mothers who breast-feed while taking lorazepam, clonazepam, or midazolam do not sedate their children.

During the postpartum period, a mother may be prescribed a benzodiazepine to alleviate anxiety and insomnia. If she breast-feeds her baby, is the infant likely to experience sedation?

Researchers in Canada used a telephone information service for pregnant and nursing mothers to recruit 124 women who were taking benzodiazepines during postpartum lactation, primarily lorazepam (52%), clonazepam (18%), or midazolam (15%). Follow-up telephone calls were used to retrospectively identify infants with central nervous system (CNS) depression — defined as sleepiness, not waking up for breast-feeding, poor latching, limpness, or lack of response to stimuli. The infants' mean age at follow-up was 11 months. Only 2 infants (1.6%) had CNS depression. The…

Reviewing Author

Martin T. Stein, MD

Disclosures

Consultant / Advisory boardPearson Neuroscience Advisory Board

Speaker’s bureauAmerican Academy of Pediatrics

RoyaltiesElsevier, Inc.

Editorial boardsJournal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics

Martin T. Stein, MD

Disclosures

Consultant / Advisory boardPearson Neuroscience Advisory Board

Speaker’s bureauAmerican Academy of Pediatrics

RoyaltiesElsevier, Inc.

Editorial boardsJournal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics