Postpartum haemorrhage and emergencies: radioactive iodine and lactation: practice question

A OBG question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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OBG · Postpartum haemorrhage and emergencies: radioactive iodine and lactation

Sample item

A breastfeeding mother with thyroid cancer needs radioactive iodine therapy. What is the correct advice?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

A. Stop breastfeeding before treatment and do not restart for the current infant

Radioactive iodine is concentrated in breast tissue and excreted in milk, exposing the infant's thyroid. Breastfeeding must stop before therapy, and for the current infant it is not resumed. A delay of some weeks after stopping lactation also reduces uptake in the breast.

Option by option

  • A. Stop breastfeeding before treatment and do not restart for the current infant (correct)

    Correct. Lactation is stopped to protect the infant's thyroid.

  • B. Continue breastfeeding because iodine is not excreted in milk

    Iodine is actively concentrated in milk, so continued feeding is unsafe.

  • C. Express and discard milk for 24 hours only

    Discarding milk for only 24 hours is too short for the radioactivity to fall.

  • D. Continue breastfeeding with a 4-hour gap after each dose

    A short gap does not remove the radiation exposure from milk.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

More OBG questions

Questions about this OBG question

What is the answer to this OBG question?

The best answer is A, Stop breastfeeding before treatment and do not restart for the current infant. Radioactive iodine is concentrated in breast tissue and excreted in milk, exposing the infant's thyroid.

Why is "Continue breastfeeding because iodine is not excreted in milk" not the answer?

Iodine is actively concentrated in milk, so continued feeding is unsafe.

Why is "Express and discard milk for 24 hours only" not the answer?

Discarding milk for only 24 hours is too short for the radioactivity to fall.

Why is "Continue breastfeeding with a 4-hour gap after each dose" not the answer?

A short gap does not remove the radiation exposure from milk.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Postpartum haemorrhage and emergencies: radioactive iodine and lactation in OBG. Breastfeeding must stop before therapy, and for the current infant it is not resumed. A delay of some weeks after stopping lactation also reduces uptake in the breast.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Postpartum haemorrhage and emergencies: radioactive iodine and lactation?

Learn management algorithms as steps: PPH, eclampsia, ectopic pregnancy. Then use the flashcards and the other OBG questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.