MN: Court to Review Guardian ad Litem Recommendation against Mother’s Decision to Breast-Feed Despite Medications and Consider in Custody Determination
A guardian ad litem appointed to advocate on behalf of a 14 month old baby has recommended to the court that his mother stop breast-feeding him.
The guardian was concerned about the child ingesting medications prescribed for his mother.
The mother maintains that she researched this issue carefully and that her baby nurse and one of her son’s doctors all encouraged her to breast-feed with full knowledge of her medication regimen. The mother also sought out the input of the author of a book on medications in mother’s milk and he too approved her choice to breast-feed.
Nonetheless, the dispute over whether the mother should breast-feed will be put before a family court judge and could influence whether he will leave the mother as the baby’s primary residential custodian.
Just in case, the mother is stocking up on formula for her son.
The unusual case raises troubling issues regarding the propriety of this intrusion into the mother’s parental rights and rights to privacy.
Read more in this Atlanta Journal Constitution article: Breast-feeding debate impacts custody battle.
