What's missing are the complete facts - the paper picked up the story and reported on the sensational aspect, while noting at the bottom that the authorities have indicated it's not just feeding while intoxicated that resulted in the arrest. Once the charges are finalized we may have more information. Until then it's going to be, "OMG! Drunken breast feeding woman arrested!" on the news, and that's it.
As far as testing for it, it's not just whether there's alcohol present in the milk, but what other substantive changes occur due to the blood alcohol level. Even if there's no alcohol passing on in the milk, it may affect how the glands produce the milk, whether the alcohol starves certain compounds, or feeds others and changes the milk itself.
I'd be interested to see what "murky" research has been covered, since the article does nothing to bear on that front other than, "No one can say with certainty"
-Adam
-- Mon Jul 06, 2009 4:15 pm --
Hrm.
Ok, so according to
http://www.kellymom.com/health/lifestyle/alcohol.html :
Less than 2% of the alcohol consumed by the mother reaches her blood and milk. Alcohol peaks in mom's blood and milk approximately 1/2-1 hour after drinking (but there is considerable variation from person to person, depending upon how much food was eaten in the same time period, mom's body weight and percentage of body fat, etc.). Alcohol does not accumulate in breastmilk, but leaves the milk as it leaves the blood; so when your blood alcohol levels are back down, so are your milk alcohol levels.
Always keep in mind the baby's age when considering the effect of alcohol. A newborn has a very immature liver, so minute amounts of alcohol would be more of a burden. Up until around 3 months of age, infants detoxify alcohol at around half the rate of an adult. An older baby or toddler can metabolize the alcohol more quickly.
Effects of alcohol on breastfeeding and the breastfed baby
* Alcohol does not increase milk production. In fact, babies nurse more frequently but take in less milk in the 3-4 hours after mom has had a drink, and one study showed a 23% decrease in milk volume with one drink (Mennella & Beauchamp 1991, 1993; Mennella 1997, 1999).
* 2+ drinks may inhibit let-down (Coiro et al 1992; Cobo 1974).
* One study showed changes in the infant's sleep-wake patterning after short-term exposure to small amounts of alcohol in breastmilk -- infants whose mothers were light drinkers slept less (Mennella & Gerrish 1998).
* Daily consumption of alcohol has been shown in the research to increase the risk for slow weight gain in the infant.
* Daily consumption of alcohol (1+ drinks daily) has been associated with a decrease in gross motor development (Little et al 1989).
So the milk contains about as much alcohol as the blood, and it comes and goes about the same rate as the blood. The infant does receive alcohol through the milk, and newborns or small infants may not have the liver capacity to deal with it.
Beyond that it makes it a bit harder to breastfeed (inhibits let-down) and some studies suggest that babies of those who drink occasionally don't sleep as much (can you say cyclical downward spiral?).
-Adam
