Introduction:
It is evident that breastfeeding your infant exclusively for 6 months has an enormous amount of benefits for the mother and infant. When the infant is breastfed they will receive many more benefits than being formula fed. For example if the infant is breastfed they will notice less ear infections, SIDS, a decrease in obesity and in asthma. Infants who are breastfed for 6 months or longer appear to have better social and medical benefits. However when the mother adds drugs and alcohol to her body, they can affect the infant in the way they grow physically and mentally. Alcohol enters breast milk by passive diffusion and is shown in the mother’s blood within 30-60 minutes after consumption2. The amount of drug expelled from the …show more content…
Infants who are younger then 3 months metabolize about half as fast as an adult can. A group of researchers led an experiment where they took 14 women who reported consuming at least one alcoholic drink per week. The mothers ranged from 26-35 years old and the infants ranged from 4-11 weeks old. There were 7 boys and 7 girls. 86% of the mothers were white, and 14% were African American. These researchers tested them on two different occasions 1 week apart. The mothers were asked to consume a bland diet to ensure that the flavors of the breast milk were similar in flavor. One occasion consisting of alcohol in the breast milk, and the other occasion the mother did not have any alcohol her system. The mothers blind the researchers used the placebo conditions, and all the drinks were identical. Once the mothers arrive they were weighed and given a Breathalyzer test. The women were given doses 0.3 g/kg of the alcoholic substance (vodka tonic with a ratio 3:5:1). The women’s BAC levels were than checked again in 30 minutes (M=. 03, SD=. 01). The feedings were arranged during a time when the infants were likely to be hungry. Mothers were encouraged to feed their infant roughly 100 ml of the expressed …show more content…
They found that drugs might have short and long term lasting effects on the infant. In particular, Cannabis, this is highly liposoluble and binds to plasma proteins. THC is excreted in the breast milk where it accumulated. Studies show that THC is excreted though breast milk in large amounts and can be as high as 8:1. Reported short-term side effects of THC are sedation, lethargy, weakness, and poor eating habits. The authors of the interpretation of these results explain that exposure to THC in breastfed infants makes the infants have side effects, and lead to maternal
It is evident that breastfeeding your infant exclusively for 6 months has an enormous amount of benefits for the mother and infant. When the infant is breastfed they will receive many more benefits than being formula fed. For example if the infant is breastfed they will notice less ear infections, SIDS, a decrease in obesity and in asthma. Infants who are breastfed for 6 months or longer appear to have better social and medical benefits. However when the mother adds drugs and alcohol to her body, they can affect the infant in the way they grow physically and mentally. Alcohol enters breast milk by passive diffusion and is shown in the mother’s blood within 30-60 minutes after consumption2. The amount of drug expelled from the …show more content…
Infants who are younger then 3 months metabolize about half as fast as an adult can. A group of researchers led an experiment where they took 14 women who reported consuming at least one alcoholic drink per week. The mothers ranged from 26-35 years old and the infants ranged from 4-11 weeks old. There were 7 boys and 7 girls. 86% of the mothers were white, and 14% were African American. These researchers tested them on two different occasions 1 week apart. The mothers were asked to consume a bland diet to ensure that the flavors of the breast milk were similar in flavor. One occasion consisting of alcohol in the breast milk, and the other occasion the mother did not have any alcohol her system. The mothers blind the researchers used the placebo conditions, and all the drinks were identical. Once the mothers arrive they were weighed and given a Breathalyzer test. The women were given doses 0.3 g/kg of the alcoholic substance (vodka tonic with a ratio 3:5:1). The women’s BAC levels were than checked again in 30 minutes (M=. 03, SD=. 01). The feedings were arranged during a time when the infants were likely to be hungry. Mothers were encouraged to feed their infant roughly 100 ml of the expressed …show more content…
They found that drugs might have short and long term lasting effects on the infant. In particular, Cannabis, this is highly liposoluble and binds to plasma proteins. THC is excreted in the breast milk where it accumulated. Studies show that THC is excreted though breast milk in large amounts and can be as high as 8:1. Reported short-term side effects of THC are sedation, lethargy, weakness, and poor eating habits. The authors of the interpretation of these results explain that exposure to THC in breastfed infants makes the infants have side effects, and lead to maternal