Feeding mums alcohol ignorant

Call for more info

MOST women who consume alcohol while breastfeeding take action to minimise the damage but many are feeding too soon after their last drink, the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education warns.

New research commissioned by FARE shows that breastfeeding women feel they do not fully understand the risks of alcohol.

More than 90 per cent said they tried to undo the damage if they did drink alcohol, but the experts highlight the only way to eliminate alcohol from breastmilk is to wait for the body to process the alcohol, and that means waiting at least two hours.

FARE chief executive Caterina Giorgi said the study highlighted the need for more information on alcohol and breastfeeding.

“There are a lot of mixed messages about alcohol and breastfeeding,” she said. “Clear messages are needed about how to ensure breastmilk is alcohol-free.”

The National Health and Medical Research Council’s Australian guidelines to reduce health risks from drinking say that for women who are breastfeeding, not drinking alcohol is safest for their baby. “Drinking alcohol while breastfeeding can disrupt baby’s sleep and result in feeding difficulties due to reductions in milk supply and changes to the flow of milk.

“Developing infant brains are also more vulnerable to alcohol than adults.”

“Alcohol in breastmilk has been linked to reductions in verbal IQ, lower cognitive ability and slowed growth,” Ms Giorgi said. “If alcohol is consumed while breastfeeding, the most effective strategies to make sure your breastmilk is alcohol-free are waiting two hours per standard drink before feeding your baby, using the Feed Safe app, or expressing before you drink so your baby can be fed by bottle,” she said.

She said that women might not know that if there was alcohol in your blood, it was also in your milk.

The study shows that 67 per cent of women feel that they do not fully understand the risks of alcohol use while breastfeeding and 65 per cent are not aware of the National Health and Medical Research Council’s alcohol guidelines for breastfeeding women.

FARE has launched a new resource about alcohol and breastfeeding that will be distributed online.

Ms Giorgi said the resource was based on the guidelines and provided evidence-based information about alcohol and breastfeeding.