IBCLCs-Have you seen low milk supply that you believe is related to hormonal contraception?
Research is underway to catalog the effects of various hormonal birth control options on lactation. Many health organizations and healthcare providers currently recommend the use of hormonal birth control without regard for the potential effects on breastfeeding and lactation or with the outright denial that any issues could result. This directly contradicts the professional experience of many in the field of human lactation.
In order to address this discrepancy and to develop a more realistic picture of this phenomenon, Dr. Alison Steube and research colleagues asking IBCLCs to use the FDA’s Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) to document occurrences. Dr Stuebe states: ” I want to encourage all of you to file a voluntary report when you see a case of disrupted lactation coincident with hormonal contraception. My sense is that maternal health providers do not think to report low milk supply as an adverse event — and probably don’t know about it, as mothers are not seen for follow-up after their 6-week visit. Pediatric providers may not assess mom’s birth control use, resulting in very few events being reported.”
Please consider filing a report whenever you encounter a case of low milk supply concurrent with hormonal contraception. Click here to learn more and be prepared to take action!
Click here to file a report.
From the FDA Website:
Who Reports to FAERS?
Reporting of adverse events and medication errors by healthcare professionals and consumers is voluntary in the United States. FDA receives some adverse event and medication error reports directly from healthcare professionals (such as physicians, pharmacists, nurses and others) and consumers (such as patients, family members, lawyers and others). Healthcare professionals and consumers may also report adverse events and/or medication errors to the products’ manufacturers. If a manufacturer receives an adverse event report, it is required to send the report to FDA as specified by regulations. The reports received directly and the reports from manufacturers are entered into FAERS.
I would love to use this FDA site to report this problem, but after looking at their website it is rather difficult for me to figure out how to do this. Any suggestions on a direct link to the filing form?
Maybe this is the page you are looking for? http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/Surveillance/AdverseDrugEffects/ucm115894.htm
Many mothers have told me that they refuse Depo Provera because it has lowered their milk supply with previous children. I have heard physicians tell mothers that it will not impact the milk supply. This false information is given everyday all the while we encourage mothers to breastfeed to the AAP and WHO recommendations. Finally, a study to address this issue. Thank you Dr. Stuebe.
I have been working with working breastfeeding mothers for many years. I have encountered many situations were a working mother starts having milk supply issues a month after she starts taking even the progesterone only birth control pill. This is especially a problem if the baby is sleeping long stretches at night as well as the mother has started to take the pill. I believe it is the combination of use of the pill in a mother who is separated from her baby and pumping at work that can create a problem. I have long wished that someone would study this issue.