Can I take antibiotics while I am breastfeeding my baby?

Yes,

Most antibiotics are quite safe during breastfeeding, even though small amounts may be secreted in the Breast Milk.

The only potential side effect in infants whose mothers are breast-feeding and taking antibiotics such as penicillins, cephalosporins, macrolides, and aminoglycosides are changes in their intestinal flora (bacteria that are normally present in the intestines). This may lead to loose stool and diarrhea in the infant, but these side effects are temporary.

You have to be careful only for a couple of antibiotics (which your doctor is anyways unlikely to prescribe) during breastfeeding.

Flagyl / Metronidazole is excreted in large quantities in breast milk and may lead to loose stools/ fungal infection in infants and is hence better avoided, or the milk discarded for 24 hours after a course of this medicine.

Chloramphenicol is a rarely prescribed antibiotic that CANNOT be taken during breast feeding, since it can lead to bone marrow suppression & serious liver damage. The good news is that this antibiotic is in any case very rarely prescribed nowadays.

For more information about antibiotic and other medicine safety during breast feeding read here

1. http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/21308045/ns/today-today_health/t/taking-antibiotics-safe-while-breast-feeding/

2. http://www.babycenter.com/0_drug-safety-during-breastfeeding_8790.bc

3. http://www.safefetus.com/

4. http://pediatrics.about.com/cs/breastfeeding/a/bfing_drugs_2.htm

When can I fly with my newborn baby ?

Ideally your healthy newborn should be around 2-3 months old before being exposed to the recycled air, germs and the large number of people on flight.

However for most healthy babies, 2-3 weeks is a reasonable time frame in case you cannot wait.

Get her examined by your pediatrician, including the ears, and carry medicines like Crocin (Acetaminophen) for any fever/ pain/ irritability, and you should be good to go !

Many parents worry that the changes in air pressure that happen when you fly can harm their baby's ears. It's true that "popping ears" during takeoff and landing can be a bit painful for some infants, but it won't cause any lasting damage. Your baby will feel more comfortable if he has something to suck on during takeoff and landing, so you may want to breastfeed or give him a bottle or pacifier. You can give him some infant pain reliever (such as acetaminophen) if his ears really seem to bother him.

Get more tips for traveling with babies here

1. http://www.babycenter.com/404_at-what-age-is-it-safe-for-my-baby-to-fly_7258.bc

2. http://pregnancy.about.com/od/newbornbabies/a/babyairplane.htm

3. http://www.ivillage.com/babies-it-safe-travel-plane-newborn/6-n-137695

The Internet Parent series - Help, is my baby having a seizure?

Here is the typical scene - you maybe feeding your infant and you suddenly notice that he has tremors in one leg. You have heard horror stories of infant seizures, and are hence obviously concerned. So is this really a seizure?

Seizures can be tough to diagnose in an infant. However here are some clues that would suggest if your child is having a seizure, or more likely a normal behaviour like tremulousness.

1. Can the movements be controlled by touching/ holding the arms /legs gently? If so, these are more likely to be normal tremors. Seizures cannot be reduced/ stopped this way.

2. Do these movements occur only at specific times, like changing diapers (or feeding as in this case)? This would be again more likely to a normal behaviour since seizures cannot be started this way).

3. Is the child developing normally? If your baby is otherwise behaving and developing normally even after repeated movements, this would make seizures less likely.

4. Are these episodes occurring both during sleep and while the infant is awake? If so this is more likely to be a seizure.

Finally, it is more likely that bilateral (both arms or leg together) movements that are symmetrical and persistent may be seizures.

While these are some useful pointers in trying to rule out seizures, given the fact that seizures can be very subtle in newborn and infants, anytime you have a doubt regarding an abnormal movement, it is a good idea to discuss this with your pediatrician.

It may be a good idea to videotape an abnormal episode (with your mobile/ camera) since this can provide invaluable information to your pediatrician too !

Suggested Reading:

1. http://pediatrics.about.com/od/weeklyquestion/a/04_baby_tremors.htm

2. http://www.epilepsy.com/info/family_parents_newborn