Loading ...Effects of Alcohol on Breast Milk
Alcohol in breast milk can lead to sleep disturbances
SOURCE: Mennella, J. A. & Gerrish, C. J. 1998, “Effects of exposure to alcohol in mother’s milk on infant sleep”, Pediatrics., vol. 101, no. 5, p. E2.
The study documented here was designed to evaluate an infant’s sleep and activity levels during the immediate hours after acute exposure to alcohol in breast milk.
For the study, infants were fitted with an actigraph, a small computerized movement detector, and fed one dose of alcohol free milk and one dose of breast milk containing a small amount of alcohol (equivalent to 0.03%, a typical milk alcohol level following one alcohol drink by a mother). The result was that Baby spent 25% less time sleeping during the 3.5 hours after consuming the alcohol-tainted milk - the researchers concluded that short-term exposure to small amounts of alcohol in breast milk produces distinctive changes in Baby’s sleep-wake patterns.
Follow-up study further discusses effect of alcohol on infant sleep disturbances
SOURCE: Mennella, J. A. & Garcia-Gomez, P. L. 2001, “Sleep disturbances after acute exposure to alcohol in mothers’ milk”, Alcohol., vol. 25, no. 3, pp. 153-158.
In a previous study, breast-feeding researchers learned that infant sleep was affected in the first 3.5 hours after consuming breast milk containing alcohol, but what about the remaining 20.5 hours of the day? To answer this question, Mennella and crew set up a subsequent study to test the hypothesis that Baby would compensate for reductions in sleep if their mothers then refrained from drinking alcohol in that subsequent 20.5 hours.
For the study, infants were fitted with an actigraph, a small computerized movement detector, and fed one dose of alcohol free milk and one dose of breast milk containing a small amount of alcohol (equivalent to 0.03%). The result was that Baby’s sleep again decreased in the first 3.5 hours after ingesting alcohol but was compensated for by an increase in sleep over the next 20.5 hours. This again shows that small of amounts of alcohol in breast milk produce distinctive changes in Baby’s longer term sleep-wake patterns.
Alcohol in breast milk can affect infant feeding patterns
SOURCE: Mennella JA, Beauchamp GK. The transfer of alcohol to human milk. Effects on flavor and the infant’s behavior. New England Journal of Medicine. 1991;325:981-985.
The point of this study was to investigate whether alcohol would alter the odor of breast milk enough for it to have immediate effects on the behavior of an infant. In order to complete this study, infants were weighed and then given one dose of alcohol-free breast milk and one dose containing a small amount of alcohol. The babies were then weighed again after the end of each feeding. The result was that in the first 4 hours after their mothers had consumed alcohol infants consumed 20% less milk.
Interestingly enough, a second component to this study was an adult panel that assessed the smell of the breast milk before it was fed to the infants. The finding was that the alcohol significantly and uniformly increased the odor of the breast milk. The intensity of the odor often peaked 30 minutes to 1 hour after the alcohol was consumed by the mother.
Follow-up study further discusses effect of alcohol in infant feeding patterns.
SOURCE: Mennella, J. A. 2001, “Regulation of Milk Intake After Exposure to Alcohol in Mother’s Milk”, Alcohol Clinical Experimental Research ., vol. 25, no. 4, pp. 590-593.
Researchers learned from a previous study that infant milk intake was decreased in the first 4 hours after their mother had ingested alcohol. They then wondered what Baby would do in the subsequent 16 hours if their mothers refrained from drinking any alcohol. The result was strikingly similar to what happened in a study conducted on infant sleeping patterns after ingesting alcohol.
For the study, infants were weighed and fed one dose of alcohol free milk and one dose of milk containing alcohol. The result was that Baby consumed less in the first 4 hours after exposure to alcohol, but increased that intake in the next 8 to 16 hours if their mother did not consume any additional alcohol.
American Academy of Pediatrics statement on breastfeeding and consumption of alcohol
SOURCE: American Academy of Pediatrics. Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk. Pediatrics 2005 Vol. 115 No. 2 496-506.
“Breastfeeding mothers should avoid the use of alcoholic beverages, because alcohol is concentrated in breast milk and its use can inhibit milk production. An occasional celebratory single, small alcoholic drink is acceptable, but breastfeeding should be avoided for 2 hours after the drink.”
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