Breastfeeding mothers warned about painkiller use

 　　SYDNEY, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Breastfeeding mothers should limit their use of codeine-containing painkillers¹ to four days as they can cause harm, an Australian doctor warned on Friday.

　　The warning is being discussed at a meeting of anesthetists in Sydney.

　　"New mothers should limit their use of codeine-containing painkillers to no more than four days and, if they feel drowsy² while taking this medication, cease its use and have their baby examined by a doctor for signs of drowsiness³," Sydney's Royal North Shore Hospital anesthetist Dr. Gavin Pattullo said.

　　"This is because codeine needs to be metabolized by the liver into morphine to offer pain relief and this liver conversion⁴ process is very unpredictable," Pattullo said.

　　"Some patients' livers produce large amounts of morphine after taking codeine, causing drowsiness, while others fail to produce any morphine at all."

　　Pattullo said for breastfeeding mothers, a large dose of morphine could make its way into the baby and result in the baby's death by overdose.

　　"While new mums shouldn't be unnecessarily alarmed, they need to be aware that codeine-containing painkillers in certain circumstances can cause harm," he said.

　　Breastfeeding mothers are being advised to see a doctor if their baby gets sleepy while taking the painkillers.(本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑)

1 painkillers   

n.止痛药( painkiller的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The doctor gave him some painkillers to ease the pain. 医生给了他一些止疼片以减缓疼痛。 来自辞典例句
• The primary painkillers - opiates, like OxyContin - are widely feared, misunderstood and underused. 人们对主要的镇痛药——如鸦片剂奥施康定——存在广泛的恐惧、误解，因此没有充分利用。 来自时文部分

2 drowsy   

adj.昏昏欲睡的，令人发困的

参考例句：

• Exhaust fumes made him drowsy and brought on a headache.废气把他熏得昏昏沉沉，还引起了头疼。
• I feel drowsy after lunch every day.每天午饭后我就想睡觉。

3 drowsiness   

n.睡意；嗜睡

参考例句：

• A feeling of drowsiness crept over him. 一种昏昏欲睡的感觉逐渐袭扰着他。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This decision reached, he finally felt a placid drowsiness steal over him. 想到这，来了一点平安的睡意。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子

4 conversion   

n.转化，转换，转变

参考例句：

• He underwent quite a conversion.他彻底变了。
• Waste conversion is a part of the production process.废物处理是生产过程的一个组成部分。