A central goal of The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine is the development of clinical
protocols for managing common medical problems that may impact breastfeeding success.
These protocols serve only as guidelines for the care of breastfeeding mothers and infants
and do not delineate an exclusive course of treatment or serve as standards of medical care.
Variations in treatment may be appropriate according to the needs of an individual patient.

Background Illicit drug use and licit substance abuse remain a significant problem among
women of childbearing age. The 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health revealed
that among pregnant women 15–44 years of age in the United States, 5.2% had used illicit
drugs in the past month. 1 The healthcare provider faced with a pregnant or recently
postpartum woman with a history of current or past drug abuse and desiring to breastfeed
often faces a significant challenge for multiple reasons. Substance-dependent women …