Can a Nursing Mother Safely Have a Thyroid Scan While Breastfeeding?
Can a Nursing Mother Safely Have a Thyroid Scan While Breastfeeding? The primary reason for a thyroid scan in a nursing mother is to differentiate between postpartum thyroiditis and Graves’ Disease. But is it safe for a woman and her baby to get a thyroid scan when breastfeeding?Answer: A thyroid scan involves an injection of radioactive iodine, and that is not safe for a nursing mother, and is not recommended while breastfeeding. The radioactive iodine will pass into the milk for weeks, and can concentrate in the baby’s thyroid. If a doctor suggests a thyroid scan, a woman can ask the doctor whether an alternative diagnostic procedure — for example, blood testing, or fine needle aspiration — can be performed instead of the scan. If a scan needs absolutely needs to be done, it is possible to do a thyroid scan with a substance called technetium, rather than radioactive iodine, according to breastfeeding expert, Dr. Jack Newman. At the
Can a Nursing Mother Safely Have a Thyroid Scan While Breastfeeding?The primary reason for a thyroid scan in a nursing mother is to differentiate between postpartum thyroiditis and Graves’ Disease. But is it safe for a woman and her baby to get a thyroid scan when breastfeeding?Answer: A thyroid scan involves an injection of radioactive iodine, and that is not safe for a nursing mother, and is not recommended while breastfeeding. The radioactive iodine will pass into the milk for weeks, and can concentrate in the baby’s thyroid. If a doctor suggests a thyroid scan, a woman can ask the doctor whether an alternative diagnostic procedure — for example, blood testing, or fine needle aspiration — can be performed instead of the scan. If a scan needs absolutely needs to be done, it is possible to do a thyroid scan with a substance called technetium, rather than radioactive iodine, according to breastfeeding expert, Dr. Jack Newman. At the
