Is Aztreonam 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 Aztreonam. The text below is quoted from that source — it is not our own verdict.
Summary of use during breastfeeding
Limited information indicates that aztreonam produces low levels in milk that are not expected to cause adverse effects in breastfed infants. Occasionally disruption of the infant's gastrointestinal flora, resulting in diarrhea or thrush, have been reported with beta-lactams, but these effects have not been adequately evaluated. A task force respiratory experts from Europe, Australia and New Zealand found that aztreonam is compatible with breastfeeding.[1] Aztreonam is acceptable in nursing mothers.
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
Maternal Levels. After a single intramuscular dose of aztreonam 1 gram in 6 women, peak milk levels averaging 0.3 mg/L occurred 6 hours after the dose. In 6 other women given a single 1 gram dose of aztreonam intravenously, peak milk levels averaged 0.2 mg/L at 2.4 hours after the dose. Aztreonam was detectable (detection limit 0.09 mg/L) in milk between 2 and 8 hours after the intramuscular dose and 1.5 and 8 hours after the intravenous dose.[2,3]
After a single intravenous dose of aztreonam 1 gram, milk levels ranging from 0.4 to 1 mg/L occurred 1 to 5 hours after the dose in 10 women with little variation in milk levels during this time in each woman. On average, levels were slightly higher 2 hours after the dose, but in individuals the peak level occurred at various times between 1 and 4 hours.[4]
Infant Levels. Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
“No published information” means the studies do not exist yet — not that Aztreonam is known to be harmful, and not that it is known to be safe. Your prescriber or pharmacist can weigh your baby's age and whether a better-studied alternative would do the same job. Worth asking before stopping a medicine you need.
Source: Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), via NCBI Bookshelf, record “Aztreonam” (LM22). 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.