In Minneapolis, a mother is questioned by her 14-month-old’s guardian ad litem who is recommending that the mother discontinue breastfeeding as she takes a host of various prescription medications. The mother has subsequently become a champion for breastfeeding advocacy saying that her doctor recommended she breastfeed and supports her decision.

According to reports, the mother takes Topamax, used to treat epileptic seizures and migraines, Baclofen for muscle spasms, Ambien occasionally to help her sleep, and Tylenol 3.

She also cites a letter from Thomas Hale, author of “Medications and Mothers’ Milk,” who writes, “They [the medications] are basically all fine, particularly in a 14-month-old infant who can metabolize drugs as good if not better than an adult.”

Even if a 14-month old can metabolize all those drugs, should they? Is it healthy? You likely wouldn’t directly give an infant any of those medications. Is there zero risk? And if not, doesn’t that go against a core belief of breastfeeding vs. formula, the tenet that formula feeding increases the risk of medical complications?

The courts are insinuating that there is information that the public doesn’t know about this case and urging people not to make assumptions. The father is seeking custody of the baby and although I’m no legal expert, typically guardian ad litem’s are appointed when the custodians of the child have been proven unfit to act on the child’s behalf.

UPDATE on new FDA warning issued for nursing mothers taking codeine:

Nursing mothers who take codeine should watch their infants for increased sleepiness or other signs of overdose, U.S. government health officials warned Friday.

The Food and Drug Administration warning of the rare but serious side effect was prompted by a 2006 report of the death of a nursing infant whose mother was given codeine for episiotomy pain.

Genetic testing later showed the woman’s body converted the codeine to morphine more rapidly and completely than in other people. That led to higher-than-expected morphine levels in her breast milk.

While the rapid conversion of codeine to morphine is a very rare side effect in some mothers, it can result in high and unsafe levels of the latter drug in the blood and breast milk, the FDA said in an alert.

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Okay, how completely messed up is this??

From the La Crosse Tribune:

Several children allegedly given alcohol in case of drunk toddler
By The Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS — Several children were drinking and some were reportedly smoking marijuana in the house where a 3-year-old girl was found drunk, according to court documents.

The mothers of the children temporarily lost custody of their children Friday after the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office filed child protection petitions to remove the children from their care.

The women, sisters Diane D. Woods, 31, and Robin R. Keys, 32, refused to comment on the case and will have trials on the petitions in December. They each have six children.

According to the petitions, police went to a home on Fremont Avenue N. on Monday and found the toddler unresponsive, “fresh vomit all over the house” and drunken adults yelling at each other.

But, wait! Think you can’t be any more sick to your stomach after that? It gets even better…

Woods’ 5-year-old daughter told authorities that she and three cousins, two of whom are 4 and 6, were also given and drank alcohol. Keys also reportedly saw three children smoking marijuana and sent them upstairs, according to the documents.

The 3-year-old who was found unresponsive, who had a blood-alcohol content of 0.12 percent, was taken to Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis and recovered. Minnesota considers drivers drunk when their blood alcohol level is 0.08 percent.

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