Question

I am a breastfeeding mother and i want to know if it is safe to use Emu Oil? Is Emu Oil safe for nursing mother and child? Does Emu Oil extracts into breast milk? Does Emu Oil has any long term or short term side effects on infants? Can Emu Oil influence milk supply or can Emu Oil decrease milk supply in lactating mothers?

Answer by DrLact: About Emu Oil usage in lactation

Emu oil is a mixture of fatty acids derived from the fat of the emu (Dromiceius novahollandiae). It contains linoleic, linolenic myristic, oleic, palmitic, palmitoleic, and stearic acids. It has been used as a moisturizing agent and some animal data indicate that in might promote wound healing and decrease inflammation. An emu oil-based cream (Clemulina Pus cream, Sitar Laboratories, Padua, Italy) applied to the nipples and areolas of breastfeeding mothers after each nursing appeared to improve skin hydration. Whether this led to reduced nipple cracking or any effects on nursing infants was not studied.[1]
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