About
Lack of clear, evidence-based information to inform prescribing recommendations may result in harm. No established grading of evidence relates to lactation studies, resulting in scanty, low-quality evidence surrounding breastmilk exposure of most drugs. This is a global problem. In all settings, women with chronic medical conditions need, or will wish, to breastfeed their infant, and women who are already breastfeeding will develop illnesses requiring treatment. In many regions of the world, it is necessary to prescribe medicinal products where the label reads, ‘manufacturer advises avoid’, or ‘no data available’, whereas in better-resourced settings, a mother and her infant are sometimes denied the benefits of breastfeeding due to lack of data.
MILK CENTRE aims to build a lactation focussed clinical pharmacology research group (MILK: Maternal and Infant Lactation pharmacoKinetics), combining clinical pharmacokinetic studies with modelling for drug concentrations in both breastmilk and the infant, able to generate robust data that inform clinical decisions about safe and effective prescribing in breastfeeding mother-infant pairs. Throughout, this will be underpinned by strong engagement with community partners and policy-making stakeholders.
We believe pregnant and breastfeeding women must be intentionally included in clinical research to close long-standing evidence gaps.
Our Mission
To generate high-quality evidence on medicine transfer through breast milk to ensure safe, effective treatment for mothers while protecting infant health.
Our Vision
To be a leading source of scientific evidence guiding safe medication use during breastfeeding globally.
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