 Baby Dies From Toxic Breast Milk
Codeine prescribed for postnatal pain can produce deadly concentrations of morphine in breast milk. A lawsuit over the death of Toronto newborn Tariq Jamieson, who died as a result of opiate toxicity in his mother's breast milk, has renewed the debate over prescribing such drugs as Tylenol 3 to breastfeeding mothers. Tariq's mother Rani was prescribed Tylenol 3 for lingering episiotomy pain. Although Tariq was initially healthy, he developed increasing lethargy after the seven-day mark, and after 11 days he was brought to a pediatrician due to concerns about his skin color and poor feeding. Two days later, Tariq died. Tariq was found to have high blood levels of acetaminophen, and a blood concentration of morphine six times higher than would normally be considered safe in a neonate. Tylenol 3 contains both acetaminophen and codeine, which is metabolized to morphine in the body. However, not everyone metabolizes codeine at the same rate. Rani Jamieson was an ultra-rapid metabolizer of codeine to morphine, which means that the opiate built up in her breastmilk very fast. While ultra-rapid metabolization of codeine occurs in about 1 percent of Caucasians, it occurs in as much as 30 percent of some African and Asian populations. Related Articles: Another Tragic and Unnecessary Death Flame Retardant in Furniture Causes Concern Victory Over Crib Death
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