Knowledge and Practice about Use of Medication among Breast Feeding Women in Saudi Arabia: A Prospective Cohort Study

Background: Amount of drug in milk depend upon the concentration of drug in the mother's serum. Medications with more half-life time (T-1/2) are likely to retain higher levels in breast milk. Also number of times of feeding and amount of milk taken by the infant are significant considerations. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge and practice about drug use while breastfeeding. Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted and sample size was determined using Krejcie and Morgan's sample size calculator. A survey was carried in eastern province, Saudi Arabia community by approaching a conveniently selected sample of 545 participants. Results:The maximum percentage of participants were housewives (43.11%) while the least participants were from health care professional (6.97%, p<0.05). Among all the participants, maximum (90.64%) were from urban residents Approx. 50 % (p<0.05) of participants are not getting proper information from doctors about the prescribed drugs. Conclusion: Awareness should be raised about the possible side effects of medication use during breastfeeding.