Post prompts debate about taking opioids while breastfeeding
Plus, a free naloxone vending machine in Nebraska reignited false claims about harm reduction.
Social media users also celebrated declining overdose deaths and debated when Narcan should be administered.
This past week, an X post claiming that opioids should not be prescribed to breastfeeding people because they “can kill a newborn” generated the most online conversation about opioids. In other discussions, an NPR article celebrating declining U.S. overdose deaths and a local news article about a student’s medical emergency sparked conversation about naloxone, with some falsely claiming that naloxone “enables” drug use and others suggesting that naloxone is administered unnecessarily.
In response, public health communicators may clarify that some opioids are safe to prescribe to breastfeeding people, recirculate information about when and how to use naloxone, and explain how to differentiate an opioid overdose from other medical emergencies.
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What’s trending nationally in conversations about opioids
On September 22, an X user shared a post claiming that an anesthesiologist “botched” his wife’s epidural before she delivered a baby and that a doctor prescribed her Vicodin to deal with residual pain after the procedure. The user then claimed that opioids “pass into breast milk and can kill a newborn,” which is not true of all prescription opioids. The post received approximately 570,000 views, 13,000 likes, 800 reposts, and 350 comments as of September 25. Some comments echoed the author’s concerns about prescribing certain pain medications to breastfeeding people, while others attempted to debunk the author’s misleading claim. One comment read, “Small amounts of oral pain meds (hydrocodone is more common) do not pass a meaningful amount of opioid through breast milk and are fully safe for babies.”
On September 18, NPR reported on provisional CDC data showing that U.S. overdose deaths are declining, which experts attribute to the availability of naloxone. Social media users shared the article across multiple platforms and celebrated the news. One popular post received approximately 370,000 views, 13,000 likes, 3,000 reposts, and 600 comments as of September 25. Some comments expressed gratitude for the availability of naloxone, while others claimed that naloxone is just “treating a symptom” of “the drug problem” and enabling drug use.
On September 17, a news website reported that a student at an Alabama high school was taken to the hospital due to a medical emergency. The article noted that the school nurse had administered naloxone, but it’s unclear whether the student had consumed drugs and was overdosing on opioids. In response to a Facebook post sharing the article, some comments questioned why the nurse administered naloxone, stating they would be upset “if they just gave my child that without reason,” while others said people are uninformed about the signs of an opioid overdose. This story echoes an ongoing conversation in the comments section of an Instagram post from earlier this month. The post mocked police officers who give naloxone to people who are in diabetic shock. Some comments suggested that many people cannot distinguish between the symptoms of diabetic shock and an overdose.
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Recommendations for public health professionals
Each week, the Infodemiology.com team will provide messaging recommendations in response to some of the trending narratives outlined above. These helpful tips can be used when creating content, updating web and FAQ pages, and developing strategy for messaging about opioids.
In response to conversations about opioids and breastfeeding, messaging may explain that while taking opioids while breastfeeding comes with some risks, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists states that some low-dose, low-potency, short-acting oral opioids are safe for breastfeeding people and their newborns when they are taken as recommended by a doctor. Breastfeeding people who are prescribed opioids should seek medical attention for their infants if they exhibit excessive sleepiness or slow breathing. However, ACOG recommends that acetaminophen and ibuprofen be used for pain relief in breastfeeding people before advancing to opioids.
Given online conversation about naloxone, communicators may explain that naloxone is a lifesaving medication that can reverse an opioid overdose and share where to access it and how to use it. Messaging may emphasize that naloxone will not harm someone who is not overdosing on opioids. Outlining the signs of an opioid overdose, which may include slow breathing, loss of consciousness, and small pupils, and differentiating them from the signs of diabetic hypoglycemia, which may include rapid breathing, shakiness, and sweating, is recommended.