Can activated charcoal be breast-fed?

The most popular and well-known intestinal adsorbent for more than three hundred years is activated carbon. In each medicine cabinet, you can see a package with black tablets. He is remembered at the first signs of poisoning, upset stomach, diarrhea.

Fact! The annotation to the drug did not indicate whether these tablets can be used during lactation, but this is not a reason to use the medicine thoughtlessly.

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During breastfeeding, mothers cautiously look at medications. They try to endure discomfort and pain in order to protect the baby from chemicals that, with the mother’s milk, will inevitably fall into the fragile body of the baby. After all, everyone knows that a lactating woman is a conductor of useful substances valuable for the development of the child, as well as harmful components - with a negligent attitude to such a sensitive and crucial moment in the life of a mother and baby. This statement can be partially dispelled. There are a number of medications that are not absorbed into the mother’s blood, therefore, they are not delivered to the infant’s body. Activated charcoal is one such drug.

If you have doubts about the advisability of using this or that drug, and the instructions do not seem convincing, you should turn to more authoritative independent sources of verified information.

APILAM is an altruistic, non-state Association for the Research of Breastfeeding. The employees of the association carry out work aimed at improving the physical and psycho-emotional health of mothers and babies. The official site supports the online reference book "E-lactation", access to which is possible in English and Spanish. It is thanks to this source that one can get rid of doubts, if necessary, in medical treatment.

There are four degrees of risks from using drugs:

1. "Very low". These are drugs that have no harm to the baby’s body. All medicines included in this list are acceptable for lactation.
2. "Low". Using tablets or other dosage forms from this list, if necessary, it is important to adhere to the indicated dosage. If you follow the instructions, they are acceptable during breastfeeding, but to find a safer drug would be the best solution.
3. "Tall".
4. "Very tall".

The last two degrees are generally not applicable for the treatment of women at the crucial moment of their life. If you need to use just them, you will have to temporarily abandon the natural feeding of the baby or, if possible, move the schedule of application to the chest.

An equally important, recognized source of reliable data can be the World Health Organization, which is the coordinating and guiding authority in healthcare.

By contacting these resources for information, you can verify the safety of activated carbon during lactation. This substance is classified as a “very low risk” hazard. According to the WHO conclusion, coal is listed as a drug for people of any age, including children under 12 years old.

In case of need, a woman breast-feeding a baby can take activated charcoal without worrying about the consequences.This does not require any changes in the diet, since the drug is not absorbed into the intestinal wall and does not enter the circulatory system. The ingress of activated carbon into the milk is completely excluded, therefore, poisoning is not possible.

Important! Coal is able not only to bind and remove toxic substances, but also in its power to remove vitamins, minerals and trace elements valuable to the body. This suggests that a long course of use without special need is undesirable. The permissible dose should not be higher than prescribed by the doctor.

In what cases coal is indicated for use

• Indigestion due to malnutrition, lack of enzymes.
• Fermentation in the intestines, decay processes, decay.
• Flatulence in the intestines, excessive accumulation of gases, bloating with pain symptoms.
• Atopic dermatitis.
• Bronchial asthma.
• The acute form of poisoning.
• Allergic reactions.
• Increased acidity in the stomach.
• Diseases accompanied by toxic syndrome.
• Diarrhea.

It is also advisable to use activated carbon before examination by X-ray or ultrasound in order to reduce gas formation and to achieve more accurate indicators of the equipment.

Contraindications

Due to the fact that this is a medical preparation, it is also indicated for use not by everyone. There is a group of people who should refrain from taking activated carbon:

• People with individual immunity to the drug.
• Open bleeding ulcers in the gastrointestinal tract.
• Relaxed intestinal muscles.
• Persons taking other drugs with similar effects.

Despite the fact that coal is considered harmless, lactating women can use it only as directed by a doctor.

Possible side effects

Using coal pills during lactation, you can encounter side effects:

• Disruption of the digestive system.
• Constipation or diarrhea.
• Changing the color of feces (pronounced black color).
• Prevention of the intake of beneficial substances in the body.

Important! Undergoing treatment with other drugs, mom should know that coal can weaken their effect, reduce the effectiveness of treatment. The break between taking medications or food should reach one and a half hours.

How to apply activated carbon

The dosage of one tablet is 0.25 g, the allowable daily dose for a woman during breastfeeding is 8 g (32 tons). If necessary, eliminate dyspepsia, for example, the dose is divided into 4 doses. Therapy can last 5 days, and when removing allergic reactions of the body - can last up to 14 days. Acute poisoning requires a dose increase of up to 30 g once.

Important! During lactation, a woman can not prescribe a dosage and drugs to herself. Treatment is carried out according to the recommendations of the attending physician.

Activated carbon analogues for use by a nursing mother

Nowadays, there are still people who use activated carbon to treat colic in infants. Although this can not be done. For children under 3 years of age, the use of this drug is contraindicated. For babies, a more convenient form of release of Smecta, Enterosgel, and Polysorb sorbent powders. The doctor will prescribe the necessary drug at his discretion.

When resorting to activated carbon, mothers should not be afraid of the negative consequences, since it is almost impossible to harm them. But we should not forget that there are modern, more effective drugs that are allowed to be used to treat digestive disorders in both children and adults.

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