Is Cefaclor 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 Cefaclor. The text below is quoted from that source — it is not our own verdict.
Summary of use during breastfeeding
Cefaclor is no longer marketed in the United States. Limited information indicates that maternal cefaclor produces low levels in milk which 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 cephalosporins, but these effects have not been adequately evaluated. Cefaclor is acceptable in nursing mothers.
Effects on the breastfed infant
In a telephone follow-up study, 5 nursing mothers reported taking cefaclor (dosage unspecified). One mother reported diarrhea in her infant. No rashes or candidiasis were reported among the exposed infants.[2]
Effects on milk supply
Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Levels in milk
Maternal Levels. A single dose of cefaclor 250 mg was given orally to 2 nursing mothers. In one mother it was undetectable in milk. In the other, levels of 0.15 to 0.19 mg/L occurred 2 to 4 hours after the dose; by 5 hours it was undetectable. In 5 mothers who received a single 500 mg oral dose, an average peak level of 0.21 mg/L occurred 4 hours after the dose. In individual patients, peak levels of 0.18 to 0.35 mg/L occurred 2 to 5 hours after the dose.[1]
Infant Levels. Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Source: Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), via NCBI Bookshelf, record “Cefaclor” (LM41). 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.