Breastfeeding advocates say questions from new moms about alcohol are common

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By Craig Babstock
Times & Transcript Staff

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The case of a North Dakota woman charged with neglect after police caught her breastfeeding her infant while drunk has fuelled discussion about alcohol consumption for nursing mothers.

Police responded to a domestic disturbance at the woman's home and found her intoxicated and breastfeeding a six-week-old child. She was charged with child neglect, pleaded guilty and faces up to five years in prison.

The case has stirred debate in the United States about the alcohol consumption of nursing moms and also about whether or not police were right to charge her.

Codiac RCMP Cpl. Mike Gaudet says he's never heard of police in Metro Moncton encountering such a situation. He says if they did, it's unlikely charges would be laid.

"Usually Social Services is the agency we deal with in situations like that," says Gaudet. "They would look into it and then have an idea of the situation in that home."

While breastfeeding advocates differ slightly in their advice on alcohol consumption by nursing mothers, it's accepted that nursing moms should not be intoxicated while nursing or prior to nursing.

Ruth MacDonald, obstetrical clinics co-ordinator for The Moncton Hospital, says questions from new moms about alcohol are common.

"We get a lot of those questions, especially around Christmas time," she says. "Breastfeeding is best for the baby, but the moms have social lives too."

MacDonald says they always advise caution when it comes to alcohol consumption while nursing, based on research conducted by the Canadian and American pediatric societies. For example, the American Academy of Pediatrics says excessive alcohol consumption by a breastfeeding mother can lead to drowsiness, deep sleep, weakness and abnormal weight gain in an infant.

"The potential benefit (of drinking alcohol) for the mother, does it justify the potential risk to the baby?" she asks.

It can be safe in moderation, but several factors must be taken into account, including the size of the woman, how much she drinks, how much she's eaten and the age of the baby. For example, MacDonald says it's more of a risk for a newborn than a one-year-old child.

A small amount of alcohol may be safe, while a large amount consumed over a long period of time is not.

MacDonald says if a mom wants to have a drink, the best rule is to nurse the baby, have the drink, then wait two to three hours before nursing again. Two drinks would require a four-to-six-hour wait.

If the woman is planning a night out on the town, where alcohol will be consumed, she can always pump her milk in advance so it's ready for the baby.

MacDonald, who read about the North Dakota case in the news, says that situation is frightening, not just for the fact the drunk woman was feeding her baby, but also because the drunk woman was looking after her six-week-old infant in general.

"If she's intoxicated, who's caring for the child?" she says.

Teresa Pitman, of the breastfeeding advocacy group La Leche League Canada, had the same reaction when she heard about the North Dakota case. The bigger issue for her is the fact a newborn was in the care of a drunk person.

"If you're really intoxicated, you shouldn't be looking after a baby," she says, citing the possibility of the child being dropped.

Pitman says moderation is the key.

"In general, moderate, occasional drinking -- like a glass of wine with dinner on a Friday night -- isn't likely to have much effect," she says. "Alcohol does go into the milk, at roughly the same level as in your blood."

She says another potential problem with drinking while nursing is babies might not like it.

"There has been some research suggesting babies may not like the taste of alcohol and they tend to take less milk when they can taste it," says Pitman.