Tobacco Smoking and Breastfeeding
According to the United States Centers for Disease Control, 10.7% of pregnant women smoke tobacco, with 50-80% of these mothers relapsing to smoking within 6 months postpartum.
The article for this week’s Clinical Question of the Week is a literature review of the impact of cigarette smoking on lactation, including breastmilk composition and infant development.
Which statement below do you think is false about the effect of maternal cigarette smoking on lactation?
- Mothers who smoke and breastfeed have a higher risk of mastitis when they wean.
- Mothers who smoke and breastfeed make less milk.
- Tobacco smoking decreases the mother’s prolactin level.
- Tobacco smoking adversely affects the taste of breastmilk.
- Total fat in breastmilk is lower among mothers who smoke by 19-26%.
- Maternal smoking decreases iodine and vitamin C levels in the breastmilk.
- Heavy smoking during pregnancy and breastfeeding is associated with a higher rate of early age leukemia.
- Breastfeeding infants of smoking mothers have a 50% higher risk of colic, and spend less time sleeping.
- A baby of a cigarette smoking mother has a lower risk of SIDS if the mother breastfeeds.
