Which of the following statements regarding breastfeeding and chronic health problems is false?

The statement regarding the "pump and dump" method effectively reducing drug levels in milk is inaccurate because this practice does not substantially decrease the concentration of drugs in breast milk. When a breastfeeding mother pumps and discards her milk, it does not clear the drug from her system; it simply removes the milk that is currently present, which can still contain the drug at its existing levels. The half-life of the medication in the mother's system is what determines how long it will take for the drug levels in her milk to decrease. Therefore, the efficacy of "pump and dump" as a means to lower drug levels is limited, and recommendations often suggest waiting until the drug is metabolized or cleared from the mother's system before breastfeeding.

In contrast, the other statements reflect accurate information regarding breastfeeding and medications. Generally, many medications are considered safe during lactation, and studies have shown that less than 1% of a maternal dose is transmitted to the infant through breast milk, which supports the safety of breastfeeding even when the mother is on certain medications. The statistic about only 5% of breastfeeding women having chronic health issues is also consistent with research findings, emphasizing that while many women may face chronic health problems, a vast majority do not.