Question

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

Answer by DrLact: About Sodium Phosphate usage in lactation

Phosphate is a normal constituent of breastmilk. Phosphate concentrations have not been measured in breastmilk after large maternal doses of sodium phosphate, such a 30 gram oral dose for pre-procedural bowel evacuation. However, the added phosphate in breastmilk is likely to be only about 130 mg over 24 hours in this situation. The increase from a typical dose of a rectal enema would be considerably less than this amount. Breastmilk sodium concentration is tightly regulated, and will not be affected. It is probably not necessary to suspend breastfeeding after the use of oral sodium phosphate solutions given once or twice for bowel evacuation before a procedure, but if there is concern, suspension of nursing for 24 hours after a dose should result in negligible increase in phosphate ingestion by the infant. Use of a phosphate rectal enema by a nursing mother would require no special precautions.
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