Is Ammonia N 13 safe while breastfeeding?
Here is what LactMed, the Drugs and Lactation Database published by the U.S. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), reports about Ammonia N 13. The text below is quoted from that source — it is not our own verdict.
Summary of use during breastfeeding
Information in this record refers to the use of ammonia N 13 as a diagnostic agent in PET scans. No information is available on the use of ammonia N 13 during breastfeeding. The Society for Nuclear Medicine and the International Commission on Radiological Protection states that breastfeeding need not be interrupted after administration of ammonia N 13,[1-3] although the manufacturer recommends withholding breastfeeding for 2 hours. This length of time is greater than 10 half-lives of the radioisotope, so the nursing infant should not be exposed to radiation if this the 2-hour time period is used. The mother can nurse just before administration of the radiopharmaceutical. If the mother has expressed and saved milk prior to the examination, she can feed it to the infant during the period of nursing interruption.[4,5] Milk that is pumped by the mother during the time of breastfeeding interruption can either be discarded or stored and given to the infant after 10 physical half-lives, or about 2 hours, have elapsed.
Nursing mothers should not work with radioactive substances used in PET scans in their workplace.[6]
Effects on the breastfed infant
Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Effects on milk supply
Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Levels in milk
Nitrogen N 13 decays by positron emission, emitting gamma photon with an energy of 511 keV. It has a physical half-life of 9.97 minutes.[3]
Source: Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), via NCBI Bookshelf, record “Ammonia N 13” (LM1052). LactMed on NCBI Bookshelf. LactMed is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Educational summary of an authoritative source — not medical advice. Never start, stop, or change a medicine while breastfeeding without confirming with your doctor.