Pharmacogenetics of Neonatal Opioid Toxicity Following Maternal Use of Codeine During Breastfeeding: A Case–Control Study

• DOI: 10.1038/clpt.2008.157
• Publication Date: 2008-08-21T14:51:51Z
• Authors: P Madadi; CJD Ross; MR Hayden; BC Carleton; A Gaedigk; JS Leeder; G Koren
• Keywords: Adult; Genotype; Milk, Human; Apnea; Codeine; Infant, Newborn; Infant; Pain; Opioid-Related Disorders; 3. Good health; Analgesics, Opioid; 03 medical and health sciences; Breast Feeding; 0302 clinical medicine; Cytochrome P-450 CYP2D6; Pharmacogenetics; Case-Control Studies; Humans; Female

A large number of women receive codeine for obstetric pain while breastfeeding. Following a case of fatal opioid poisoning in a breastfed neonate whose codeine prescribed mother was a CYP2D6 ultrarapid metabolizer (UM), we examined characteristics of mothers and infants with or without signs of central nervous system (CNS) depression following codeine exposure while breastfeeding in a case-control study. Mothers of symptomatic infants (n = 17) consumed a mean 59% higher codeine dose than mothers of asymptomatic infants (n = 55) (1.62 (0.79) mg/kg/day vs. 1.02 (0.54) mg/kg/day; P = 0.004). There was 71% concordance between maternal and neonatal CNS depression. Two mothers whose infants exhibited severe neonatal toxicity were CYP2D6 UMs and of the UGT2B7*2/*2 genotype. There may be a dose-response relationship between maternal codeine use and neonatal toxicity, and strong concordance between maternal-infant CNS depressive symptoms. Breastfed infants of mothers who are CYP2D6 UMs combined with the UGT2B7*2/*2 are at increased risk of potentially life-threatening CNS depression.