Nursing Mothers Warned Of Codeine Risk for Infants

By JENNIFER CORBETT DOOREN
August 17, 2007 2:55 p.m.

WASHINGTON -- The Food and Drug Administration warned breast-feeding women to watch for signs of overdose in infants if the women are taking codeine products.

Codeine products are the most commonly used painkillers given after birth. Codeine is also used in some prescription cough medicines.

The agency issued a public health advisory Friday after it became aware of a death reported last year of a 13-day-old infant in a mom who was later found to be an "ultra-rapid" metabolizer of codeine. That allowed higher than normal amounts of the drug, which is converted by the body into morphine, to get into the breast milk.

"Our best advice to physicians prescribing codeine-containing products to nursing mothers is to prescribe the lowest dose needed for the shortest amount of time," said Sandra Kweder, FDA's deputy director of the Office of New Drugs.

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