Skip to main content
Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Postgrad Med J. 2004 Apr; 80(942): 196–200.
doi: 10.1136/pgmj.2003.011973
PMCID: PMC1742963
PMID: 15082839

Effect of maternal antibiotics on breast feeding infants

J Mathew
Author information Copyright and License information PMC Disclaimer

Abstract

Antibiotic usage is fairly common among breastfeeding mothers and there is potential for transfer to infants through breast milk. While most medicines taken by lactating women cause no harm to their babies, at times it can result in serious consequences. This article reviews the principles governing tranfer of maternal antibiotics to breast milk, its clinical significance, and ways to minimise inadvertent infant exposure.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (176K).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  • Chin KG, Mactal-Haaf C, McPherson CE. Use of anti-infective agents during lactation: Part 1--Beta-lactam antibiotics, vancomycin, quinupristin-dalfopristin, and linezolid. J Hum Lact. 2000 Nov;16(4):351–358. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • Thomas M, Jairaj P, Mathew LG. A prospective study in a southern Indian hospital on the prescription of medication during the lying in period following childbirth. Soz Praventivmed. 1994;39(5):273–279. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • Olesen C, Steffensen FH, Nielsen GL, de Jong-van den Berg L, Olsen J, Sørensen HT. Drug use in first pregnancy and lactation: a population-based survey among Danish women. The EUROMAP group. Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 1999 Apr;55(2):139–144. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • Uppal R, Karmakar S, Singh MM, Dhall GI, Gupta I, Sharma PL. Prescription drug use in lactating mothers: an experience at a referral hospital and in a community in India. Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther Toxicol. 1993 Feb;31(2):93–95. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • Hoppu K, Kettunen K, Remes R. Maternal drug treatment and human milk banking. Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther. 1994 Sep;32(9):488–490. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • Scott A, Forsyth S. Breast feeding and antibiotics. Mod Midwife. 1996 Jul;6(7):14–16. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • Bowes WA., Jr The effect of medications on the lactating mother and her infant. Clin Obstet Gynecol. 1980 Dec;23(4):1073–1080. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • Bourget P, Quinquis-Desmaris V, Fernandez H. Ceftriaxone distribution and protein binding between maternal blood and milk postpartum. Ann Pharmacother. 1993 Mar;27(3):294–297. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • Miller GE, Banerjee NC, Stowe CM., Jr Diffusion of certain weak organic acids and bases across the bovine mammary gland membrane after systemic administration. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1967 Jul;157(1):245–253. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • Wilson JT, Brown RD, Cherek DR, Dailey JW, Hilman B, Jobe PC, Manno BR, Manno JE, Redetzki HM, Stewart JJ. Drug excretion in human breast milk: principles, pharmacokinetics and projected consequences. Clin Pharmacokinet. 1980 Jan-Feb;5(1):1–66. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • Wojnar-Horton RE, Hackett LP, Yapp P, Dusci LJ, Paech M, Ilett KF. Distribution and excretion of sumatriptan in human milk. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1996 Mar;41(3):217–221. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • Chung Allison M, Reed Michael D, Blumer Jeffrey L. Antibiotics and breast-feeding: a critical review of the literature. Paediatr Drugs. 2002;4(12):817–837. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • Morriss FH, Jr, Brewer ED, Spedale SB, Riddle L, Temple DM, Caprioli RM, West MS. Relationship of human milk pH during course of lactation to concentrations of citrate and fatty acids. Pediatrics. 1986 Sep;78(3):458–464. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • Prentice A, Prentice AM, Whitehead RG. Breast-milk fat concentrations of rural African women. 1. Short-term variations within individuals. Br J Nutr. 1981 May;45(3):483–494. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • Rasmussen F, Linzell JL. The acetylation of sulphanilamide by mammary tissue of lactating goats. Biochem Pharmacol. 1967 May;16(5):918–919. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • Mann CF. Clindamycin and breast-feeding. Pediatrics. 1980 Dec;66(6):1030–1031. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • Gardner DK, Gabbe SG, Harter C. Simultaneous concentrations of ciprofloxacin in breast milk and in serum in mother and breast-fed infant. Clin Pharm. 1992 Apr;11(4):352–354. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • Lumbiganon P, Pengsaa K, Sookpranee T. Ciprofloxacin in neonates and its possible adverse effect on the teeth. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 1991 Aug;10(8):619–620. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • Snider DE, Jr, Powell KE. Should women taking antituberculosis drugs breast-feed? Arch Intern Med. 1984 Mar;144(3):589–590. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • Spencer JP, Gonzalez LS, 3rd, Barnhart DJ. Medications in the breast-feeding mother. Am Fam Physician. 2001 Jul 1;64(1):119–126. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
Articles from Postgraduate Medical Journal are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group
-