“
Reminding the world of the risks of opioid use during breastfeeding through our story.
Our Mission
Tariq's Story
This is my story about our precious, perfect son Tariq, who was born — as I can best describe him — an angel.
Tariq may have come into the world late, but he arrived on time to help save others.
His short life was filled with nothing but love. After his senseless death, we were determined to save other babies from the same harm, and other parents from this enduring pain.
Tariq's legacy is to keep newborn health and safety in the forefront of our minds. It was only after his passing that I was introduced to the case of an infant from 1885 who had suffered the same death as my son. And it was only after Tariq's death that I learned of the warning the doctor in that 1885 case had given — that he wanted to put mankind on notice of the dangers of prescribing opioids to breastfeeding mothers.
As a society, we have grown lax in our vigilance. I had asked all the right questions about safety and health, and I had believed all the reassurances I was given. I don't want the knowledge of these dangers to ever be forgotten again. I don't want Tariq's suffering and death to be in vain. And so I feel it is my role, as Tariq's mother, to remind both the medical community who prescribes these drugs and the breastfeeding mothers who require them... of the potential danger.
Read more about TariqThe British Medical Journal — 1885
"a case of opium-poisoning communicated to the infant through the medium of the mother's milk, and at the same time to put medical men on their guard against allowing an infant to take the breast where it is necessary to give large and continuous doses of opium to the mother."
PDF of article
Tariq's Warning
I was personally told by both obstetricians and obstetric nurses that codeine was safe to take while breastfeeding. I was reassured that only a "small" amount of the drug would transfer through the breast milk. When the first symptoms of a drug overdose began showing up in Tariq, not one medical provider, caregiver, or fellow parent recognized them. Doctors, nurses, and other parents spoke about how commonplace it was for babies to lose their hunger, feed irregularly, sleep heavily for extended periods, change colour on occasion, and experience irregular breathing. Everyone was quick to reassure a nervous first-time mother that everything was fine. I say this not to cast blame, but to emphasize how exceptionally difficult it can be to tell the difference between a "sleepy" baby and one that is silently overdosing on prescription medication passed through the breast milk.
Next Steps