[isaoma]

I bought some spring tonic tea at a local tea store that contained sassafras. I specifically asked the woman who was working if it was safe for a nursing mother and she said she it should be fine.

I drank a cup of tea today, but decided to look online for more info on sassafras. I find out that it is considered a carcinogen.

http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/69363.cfm

AND it's volatile oil, safrole is considered poisonous in small amounts to toddlers.

"It is estimated that a few drops of sassafras oil are sufficient to kill a toddler and as little as one teaspoonful has proved fatal in an adult. Symptoms of poisoning are described as vomiting, stupor, and collapse. High doses may cause spasms followed by paralysis. Large amount of the oil are reported to be psychoactive with the hallucinogenic effects lasting for several days." (Newall)

What should I do? I have a 2.5 year old nursling, should I just not nurse her tonight?

 

[isaoma]

sorry, I had kind of a reactionary post. Here's more info. I had a tea that had an herbal mix containing sassafras yesterday & today. So, it wasn't JUST sassafras tea. I know I can't do anything about consuming the tea at this point, but want to know if I should nurse dd (2.5) tonight, or would it be best to wait until morning.

Thanks.

 

[adoremybabe]

I am sorry that I do not have any sound advice but, if your little one can go without nursing tonight, then I'd skip it. Just to be on the safe side. Hopefully someone will see this and be able to chime in.

 

[Black Orchid]

Just a guess, but I would probably be more concerned with an infant whose main source of food is breastmilk. The transfer rate probably isn't that high and it would already be diluted in water. Add that to your toddler not getting a ton of milk, I don't think I'd worry. Then its going to clear your system in 4-6 hours most likely... I just wouldn't worry.

Not an herbalist, just saying what I would think...

 

[FrannieP]

I wouldn't be too worried if I were you.
The amount you ingested is likely not that much, and as pp said, your toddler is not exclusively bf'd .
The risk with this herb is liver toxicity which would require long term exposure.
I wouldn't drink anymore, but I wouldn't worry about what you drank.
fp

 

[tinuviel_k]

I am not sure about nursing and sassafras, but IMO there is this HUGE big bad hype about it in general.

Yes, they found that a component of sassafras, safrole, is toxic in quantity. But in the study done in the 1970s the researchers took sassafras, chemically extracted the safrole with solvents, and gave this concentrated substance to lab rats. They found that large amounts of the extracted safrole caused canger in the rats.
But: they were NOT giving the rats sassafras tea in concentrations like what a human would drink every so often in a beverage. Drinking tea and ingesting larger than normal amount of concentrated extracts is a whole different thing! Its like the difference between enjoying a cup of lavender tea and taking lavender essential oils internally (not recommended, by the way). Nevertheless, even though it was the concentrated extract that was found toxic the sassafras was banned from commercial foods completely, which is why root beer is not longer made with real "roots" but with flavoring.

Also, I have heard that safrole is not soluable in water, so likely it is not coming through in the tea anyway.

 

[JessicaS]

That is referring to the essential oil.

The tea should be fine.

 

[isaoma]

I let dd nurse for only a minute (literally) and dh is putting her to bed tonight -- just to be on the safe side.

Thank you all for the information about the difference between the oil and the tea (makes sense) and info about the study.

I'm so glad I have all you wonderful mamas to help me