Compounding Benefits for Breastfeeding Mothers and New Moms from our Healthcare Partner, Innovation Compounding

A feature from our Healthcare Partner, Innovation Compounding. 

The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provided data on numbers and characteristics of births in 2018. The largest number of births occurred in the month of August according to the National Vital Statistics Reports (NVSS) published on November 27, 2019.²

Table I–2. Births, and seasonally adjusted birth rates, by month: the United States, 2018.²

Breastfeeding is a vital source that provides essential nutrition for most infants.³ Human milk allows the infant to obtain the proteins, fats, carbohydrates, sugars, as well as, vitamins which contribute to healthy development.⁴ The milk of a mother is uniquely suited for her child(ren) and is known as the biological norm that creates and builds an infant’s immune system with defenses such as antibodies, immune factors, different enzymes, and [white blood cells].⁵

“Breastfeeding provides unmatched health benefits for babies and mothers. It is the clinical gold standard for infant feeding and nutrition, with breast milk uniquely tailored to meet the health needs of a growing baby. We must do more to create supportive and safe environments for mothers who choose to breastfeed.”

Dr. Ruth Petersen, Director of CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity

According to the 2018 CDC Breastfeeding Report Card, 4 out of 5 (83.2%) of mothers living in the U.S. start out breastfeeding [at 6 months] in 2015.⁶

Figure 3. CDC’s Work To Support & Promote Breastfeeding In Hospitals, Worksites, & Communities7

Among the infants born in 2015 in the U.S. over half (57.6%) were breastfed at 6 months, and over one-third (35.9%) were breastfed at 12 months.⁶ Among African-American babies, the rates are significantly lower with a 15% less likely chance of being breastfed.7 There are many mothers in the U.S. who wish to start and continue with breastfeeding; however, these rates uncover the issue which is lack of support.

“Given the importance of breastfeeding on the health of mothers and children, it is critical that we take action to support breastfeeding. Only through the support of family, communities, clinicians, healthcare systems, and employers will we be able to make breastfeeding the easy choice.”

 

Dr. Jerome M. Adams, U.S. Surgeon General

The new mothers of this need our support, and The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding will help all of us see how we all can cheerfully and regularly minimize some of the issues/dilemmas that may prevent or affect women who wish to breastfeed.

Common Issues and Dilemmas Plaguing Women Trying To Breastfeed⁸

• Lack of experience or familial support [for mothers and babies]
• Lack of opportunities to discuss the experience with breastfeeding mothers
• Lack of relevant and up-to-date instruction and information from healthcare professionals
• Lack of accommodation at work & efficient start on breastfeeding in hospital practices

Read more about breastfeeding and CDC initiatives to further educate the public and advocate actively for mothers and infants, and more here.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that infants be exclusively breastfed around the first 6 months of life, as well as, there ought to be continued breastfeeding alongside the introduction of appropriate complementary foods for 1 year or longer.⁹ This maximizes physiological benefits for both the mother and baby.

Image Source: ACOG, 2016¹⁰

In addition, infants who are breastfeed receive protection against diseases such as bacteremia, urinary tract infections, late-onset sepsis in preterm infants, childhood overweight and obesity, and various cancers. Breastfeeding also can help the mother with lactation amenorrhea¹¹. You can find these benefits on the AAP website when you click this link. 

It serves great benefits to the environment and society as well. According to The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding, families that proceed in optimal breastfeeding can save $1.200-$1,500 on infant formula in the first year alone. Thanks to benefits, infant health is likely better and that leads to breastfeeding families less likely being sick often as well as fewer health insurance claims and parents missing less work (so higher productivity)⁸. There is no worry of needing a manufactured product (i.e. Similac) or making waste or air pollution, AND the milk is always at the right temperature and ready to feed¹¹. 

How Can We All Work to Support Breastfeeding Mothers? 

The Surgeon General’s 2011 Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding provides the following considerations⁸:

Healthcare Providers (HCPs)

• Hospitals: Incorporate recommendations of UNICEF/WHO’s Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative.
• Provide breastfeeding education for health clinicians caring for women and children.
• Ensure access to International Board Certified Lactation Consultants.

Employers

• Start and maintain high-quality, lactation support programs for employees.
• Provide clean places for mothers to breastfeed.
• Establishing paid maternity leave for employed mothers.

Community Leaders

• Strengthen programs giving mother-to-mother support and peer counseling.
• Use community organizations to promote and support breastfeeding.

Family & Friends [of the mothers]

• Give mothers support and encouragement needed to breastfeed.
• Take advantage of programs to educate fathers and grandmothers about breastfeeding.

Policymakers

• Support small nonprofit organizations that promote breastfeeding in African-American communities.
• Support compliance with the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes.
• Increase funding of high-quality research on breastfeeding.
• Support better tracking of breastfeeding rates and factors that affect breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding and Medication Safety and Considerations¹² 

Mothers should NOT breastfeed or feed expressed breast milk to their infants if: 

• Infant is diagnosed with classic galactosemia
• Mother is infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
• Mother is using an illicit street drug
• Mother has suspected or confirmed Ebola virus disease

Mothers should temporarily NOT breastfeed and should NOT feed expressed breast milk to their infants if: 

• Mother is infected with untreated brucellosis
• Mother is taking certain medications
• The mother is undergoing diagnostic imaging with radiopharmaceuticals
• Mother has an active herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection with lesions present on the breast

Mothers should temporarily NOT breastfeed, but CAN feed expressed breast milk if:

• Mother has untreated, active tuberculosis
• Mother has active varicella (chicken pox) infection that developed within the 5 days prior to delivery to the 2 days following delivery

When prescribing therapies to breastfeeding mothers, all healthcare providers are advised by the American Academy of Pediatric (AAP) to consider the following¹³:

• The need for the drug by the mother
• Potential adverse effects of the drug on the milk production
• Amount of potential drug excretion into human milk
• Age of infant
• Number of feedings that are breast milk
• Oral drug absorption by the infant
• Potential adverse effects on the infant

Compounding: Addressing Unique Medication Needs¹⁴

Compounding is the creation of a pharmaceutical preparation, also known as a drug by a licensed pharmacist in order to address the unique needs of a patient (i.e., animal or human) when a commercially available drug is unable to meet those needs. It is a way to obtain medications in a situation where a patient may not be able to tolerate the commercially available drug, the preparation needed cannot be found/available commercially, or the medication that the patient needs is either in shortage, unknown or extended backorder or discontinued.

Based upon a prescriber’s prescription, the following can be done to meet a patient’s need:

• Customize strength or dosage
• Flavor a medication (making it more palatable for a child or a pet)
• Reformulating the drug to not use unwanted or nonessential ingredients like lactose, gluten, or a dye (for which the patient is allergic to)
• Can change the formulation of a medication
  – In the case of difficulty swallowing or the experience of stomach upset

Please note: compounding is NOT a commercially available drug duplicating service.

Compounded Medication Options for Moms

The pharmacists at Innovation Compounding are available to formulate medications for common conditions such as:

• Nipple Ointment for Breastfeeding
• Melasma (‘Pregnancy Mask’)
• Eczema Flare-ups (pre and post-pregnancy)
• Acne
• Puffy Eye Treatments
• Dermatitis
• Hemorrhoids
• Anal Fissures
• Stretch Marks
• Surgical Scars

Read more at Innovation Compounding. 

“Only through the support of family, communities, clinicians, healthcare systems, and employers will we be able to make breastfeeding the easy choice.”

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Frequently asked

How long should babies be breastfed?

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for about the first six months, then continued breastfeeding alongside appropriate solid foods for a year or longer, for as long as mother and baby wish.

Can I take medication while breastfeeding?

Many medications are compatible with breastfeeding and some are not. Clinicians weigh how much the mother needs the drug, any effect on milk supply, how much passes into milk, the baby's age and how much of the baby's diet is breast milk. Ask your prescriber or pharmacist before starting anything new.

What is a compounded medication?

A compounded medication is prepared by a licensed pharmacist from a prescription when a commercially available drug doesn't meet a patient's needs. The pharmacist can adjust the strength, remove an ingredient the patient reacts to, or change the form, for example from a tablet to a cream.

References

1. Compounding for New Moms— Innovation Compounding

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