Drugs that are usually prescribed to prevent bleeding after childbirth may interfere with a woman's ability to breastfeed, British researchers reported.

The study involved 48 thousand. Born women from South Wales. It turned out that the use of pharmaceuticals, such as oxytocin or ergometrine, reduces milk production by 7% in those women who started breastfeeding within 48 hours after giving birth. Among women who did not take medications, 65.5% started breastfeeding within 48 hours, among those who took oxytocin - 59.4%, and among those who received ergometrine injection - 56.4%, the researchers reported.

The results of the study helped to understand why the success of attempts to increase the number of breast-feeding mothers in the UK. The Ministry of Health recommends that mothers breastfeed at least six months to strengthen the health of children and mothers. However, in the UK only 45% of mothers breastfeed their babies during the first week of life, and the rest use artificial milk formulas, scientists said.. The study was published in the journal BJOG.

Medicinform. Net.

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