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Which drugs are contraindicated during breastfeeding? Practice guidelines
1Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto.
Canadian Family Physician Medecin De Famille Canadien
|October 3, 2000
Summary
Most medications are safe for breastfeeding mothers and their babies. However, certain drugs like antineoplastics and drugs of abuse pose risks and should be avoided, while others require monitoring.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Pediatrics
- Lactation Studies
Background:
- Breastfeeding mothers frequently express concerns regarding medication safety for their infants.
- Lack of clear guidelines can lead to anxiety and suboptimal treatment decisions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide guidelines on the safety of medications for breastfeeding mothers.
- To identify drugs that pose a risk to breastfed infants.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature and clinical guidelines on drug excretion into breast milk.
- Analysis of reported adverse events associated with medication use during lactation.
Main Results:
- A limited number of medications present a clinically significant risk to breastfed infants.
- Specific drug classes, including antineoplastics, drugs of abuse, certain anticonvulsants, ergot alkaloids, and radiopharmaceuticals, are generally contraindicated.
- Monitoring of drug levels is recommended for amiodarone, cyclosporine, and lithium.
Conclusions:
- The majority of commonly prescribed medications are considered safe for use by breastfeeding mothers.
- Careful consideration and monitoring are necessary for specific high-risk medications.
- These findings aim to support informed clinical decision-making for breastfeeding mothers.