Is it safe for a breastfeeding mom to change the cat litter?

Yes, you can change the cat litter if you are a breastfeeding mom.

Like anyone who takes on this household chore, you should take two commonsense precautions. Wear gloves when you change the kitty litter and wash your hands afterward.

The risk from cat litter is that it can contain a parasite that causes a rare infection known as toxoplasmosis. During pregnancy the risk is especially great because toxoplasmosis can be passed through the placenta and cause serious birth defects in a developing fetus. That's why pregnant women are told not to change cat litter.

But once your baby is no longer growing inside you, that's not a concern, and the illness has never been shown to pass through breast milk.

Jennifer Thomas is a pediatrician and breastfeeding medicine specialist in Franklin, Wisconsin.  
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