In today's modern warfare, there is a growing risk of chemical and biological weapons use. Despite the widespread adoption of the United Nations Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention1 in 1975 and the Chemical Weapons Convention2 in 1997, we have seen notable examples of state-sponsored use of agents on vulnerable populations, as well as the use by individuals and nonstate actors.3-7 With the rise in acts of terrorism and conflict, there is an increased likelihood of exposure to chemical or biological agents by women and young children, who often represent the most vulnerable among the population. Children aged 0 to 5 years carry the most significant burden of conflict-related deaths of all age groups.8 Women of reproductive age who live in conflict zones have 3 times higher mortality than women who live in predominantly conflict-free settings.9

Despite the stark evidence of severe short- and long-term impacts of conflict on women and young children, this population has historically been overlooked when it comes to setting policy or providing holistic or human-centered guidance in conflict settings.10 There are abundant guidelines and research available on chemical and biological threats and how the general population could be impacted, as well as references to the treatment of breastfeeding women when discussing antidotes, vaccines, and drug treatments. However, there is very little guidance on whether women can safely continue to breastfeed after specific chemical and biological events and at what point breastfeeding can be safely resumed. Current information about breastfeeding safety in this scenario is disparate and hard to find.