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Diagnostic procedures for breastfeeding: what can be done?

, medical expert
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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If during pregnancy the mother and child organisms form one whole, then after birth the physical communication is carried out by means of breast milk. The quality of milk is influenced by many factors, and to make it high, you should know what you can and can not do to your nursing mother. In particular, what methods of medical diagnostics are allowed to apply if a woman is ill, so as not to harm the lactation process and the health of the baby.

First, you need to make sure that a survey or manipulation is really necessary, and they can not be postponed until future times. And if you can not postpone it, then do not be afraid of everything and think that any procedure is reflected in milk and harms the child. For example, ultrasound, biopsy performed without restrictions. Other methods are also not dangerous, but each situation is desirable to discuss individually.

Can I breastfeed my mother?

What can and can not be done to a nursing mother if she coughs, fever, and exhibits other symptoms that are characteristic of pulmonary diseases? Usually doctors in such cases first of all prescribe a fluorographic study. However, a woman who is preoccupied with the needs of the baby can not help doubting: is it possible to breastfeed a breastfeeding mother? Is the fluorograph a health hazard?

Experts believe that in the presence of indications, fluorography can be carried out. After all, without these data it is difficult to diagnose and cure the disease. And the examination can reveal very serious pathologies: tuberculosis, neoplasms in the mammary gland and chest organs, lesions of the diaphragm. The fluorogram is also shown in cases when:

  • symptoms of tuberculosis are detected;
  • a woman is at risk for tuberculosis;
  • lives in a dysfunctional epidemiological region.

In favor of fluorography says that it does not affect lactation and milk, does not accumulate, and the effect of rays ceases immediately after the apparatus is turned off. At the same time, the preventive fluorogram is not recommended to be performed during the feeding period, but postponed until the lactation stops.

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Can I take an X-ray to a nursing mother?

According to modern data, it is certainly possible to do an X-ray to a nursing mother. Since breast milk under the influence of rays is not subjected to any changes, then there is no need to stop feeding the baby for a while.

Another thing, if we are talking about the use of contrast agents. This procedure is prescribed for the study of the kidneys, the gallbladder, to obtain a lymphangiogram. What can and can not be done by a nursing mother in such cases should be advised by a specialist.

Radiocontrast components are used to improve the visualization of individual organs or tissues. Producers recommend not feeding the baby with mother's milk within 24 hours after the procedure.

According to experts, this is an excessive over-insurance, because the amount of iodine falling into the milk is negligible and does not threaten the baby. A barium, necessary for the study of the gastrointestinal tract, is not absorbed into the body at all and does not affect the quality of milk.

Can I do a tooth X-ray to a nursing mother?

X-rays do not affect the mother's milk, so the question of whether it is possible to do an X-ray of the tooth to a nursing mother, does not occur with dentists. There is no need to decant milk, wean the child for a while, do forced interruptions.

  • Without going into the scientific details, we will briefly note that in the study of bone tissues, so-called hard rays are used. They, unlike soft rays, are able to pass through the skin and muscles and reach the bones. Due to this the doctor is given the opportunity to see what is hidden in the front part of the dental cavity.

The main thing that can and should not be done by a nursing mother during this procedure is to adhere to safety measures: protect the chest and stomach with a lead or more modern polymer apron to minimize the area open to X-rays.

In rare cases, when contrast is used for analysis, it can be briefly abandoned from feeding.

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Can I do an MRI breastfeeding mom?

The principle of the magnetic resonance tomograph is rather complicated, but the efficiency is very high. The advantage is that the series of detailed images obtained at MRI allows the specialist to see what can not be done in any other way: to distinguish sore spots from healthy ones, to get clear information about problem areas.

High accuracy of results is provided by the computer program. In the process of work, a magnetic field is formed, so the patient must get rid of all metal objects before the procedure.

  • It is possible to do or make mрт to feeding mum or not - a question disputable. Experts agree that the tomography does not harm the lactation process. Disagreements concern the part of the question that you can and can not do to the nursing mother, whether to feed the baby immediately after the examination.

For doubting mothers advise a simple way out: express the milk before the procedure and feed it after, and within a day after the MRI decant, but the child is not given.

Individual doctors also consider the real likelihood of breast cancer after MRI and recommend that it be performed no earlier than 3 months after the end of lactation.

The procedure is painless, but has a contraindication for patients suffering from claustrophobia: immersion in a close cell for 20-40 minutes, and so much examination lasts, can cause panic fear. The presence of such a problem should be warned in advance.

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Can I get an ultrasound for a nursing mother?

The specialists answer affirmatively to the question: "Is it possible to give an uteri to a breastfeeding mother?" The fact is that this method of diagnosis does not affect feeding, so there are no restrictions for this category of patients. The main thing is not to abuse anything, and to do the procedures only according to the indications. If a woman is informed about what can and can not be done to a nursing mother, then there is no problem.

  • In the tissues of the breast, stagnant and inflammatory phenomena often develop. Ultrasound diagnosis is a very accurate method that is used for the timely detection of such pathologies of the breast as mastitis, cyst, mastopathy, fibroadenoma.

The advantages of ultrasound are the absence of irradiation, accessibility, painlessness, simultaneous examination of lymph nodes. Modern equipment can safely and quickly get a reliable result. Thanks to ultrasound, the site for a biopsy is being specified to conduct a histological analysis.

When breastfeeding, there are risks of stagnation, resulting in local breasts in the breast. The ultrasound device detects foci of inflammation and edema, fluid accumulation or mastitis. Successfully identified abscesses and phlegmon of the female gland.

For the study, no special training or any restrictions are required. The only condition is observance of personal hygiene of the examination area.

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Can I do a CT breastfeeding mom?

When there are health problems, responsible women are necessarily interested in information about what can and can not be done by a nursing mother. The principle of the operation of computed tomography is the use of X-rays, which in itself is alarming. Therefore, the next question is quite logical: can I do a feeding mom?

CT is very informative diagnosis: it reveals pathological sites and their location in the locomotor and internal organs. Thanks to "all-seeing" rays, high-quality images are obtained, helping to assess the condition of tissues and small vessels, detect changes in bones, malignant and other pathologies.

  • According to clinical data, the minimum dose of rays obtained by the body with CT does not adversely affect milk. Moreover, glandular tissue does not have a high radiation absorption, so it can not accumulate in the breast.

However, there is a restriction - in the event that it is necessary to apply an X-ray contrast medium, the components of which penetrate into the milk and, accordingly, into the baby's body. In this case, milk is decanted and stopped to put the baby to the breast for 12, or better - for 24 hours.

In preparation for the procedure, the patient undergoes a sensitivity test for these substances, and on the eve introduces adjustments to the diet - excludes products such as sea kale and persimmon.

Can I do a mammogram for a nursing mother?

The answer to the question, whether it is possible to do mammography to a nursing mother, is definitely positive. The procedure does not have any harmful effect on the female gland, but the problem is that the result will be fuzzy.

A mammogram of a nursing mother can be difficult to decipher and evaluate due to physiological changes in tissues associated with lactation. Therefore, pathological changes may remain unidentified. The only thing that allows such a study is to establish the size and location of previously identified seals.

If a mammogram is unavoidable, it is important to remember what can and can not be done by a nursing mother. In particular, it is worth using the following tips:

  • conduct the procedure in an experienced doctor in such studies;
  • take a child with you;
  • feed him immediately before the examination, to reduce the amount of milk in the gland, which, in turn, contributes to better readability of the analysis.
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