Breastfeeding with Smoking Cessation Products

Smoking tobacco during breastfeeding has a number of well-documented adverse effects on infants and lactation. 1 Cigarette smoking reduces milk yield, possibly caused by nicotine, which lowers serum prolactin and somatostatin, and increases serum epinephrine. Smokers start supplementation and stop nursing sooner than nonsmokers, and infants of smokers are more likely to have colic symptoms and respiratory infections. In addition, although breastfeeding reduces the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), smoking negates this advantage. In fact, maternal smoking is a major risk factor for SIDS. Nicotine is thought to be the causative factor by reducing the dopamine content of the carotid bodies and reducing the infant's ability to autoresuscitate during hypoxic episodes. Smoking decreases the nutrient content of breast milk, decreases milk's antioxidant properties, and alters infant immune status.2 Numerous other toxic substances in smoke such as lead and cadmium are also transferred to the colostrum and milk of smokers. © 2021 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.