Is Cefditoren 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 Cefditoren. The text below is quoted from that source — it is not our own verdict.
Summary of use during breastfeeding
Cefditoren is no longer marketed in the United States. Because of the low levels of cefditoren in breastmilk, amounts ingested by the infant are small and would not be expected to cause any 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. Cefditoren 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. Twelve lactating women were given cefditoren 200 mg before a meal. Complete milk samples were collected with a breast pump 1 hour before administration and at 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, and 12 hours after the dose. The average peak milk level was 11.3 mcg/L, at an average of 4.87 hours after the dose and the half-life in milk was 2.42 hours. The average milk concentration was 5.65 mcg/L, which resulted in a relative infant dose (RID) of 0.0073% of the weight-adjusted dosage.[1] However, the actual milk volumes were low at an average of 405 mL/day and the infant weights averaged 8.8 kg, resulting in a daily infant milk intake of only 45 mL/kg. Using the standard daily milk volume of 150 mL/kg, the RID would be 0.025%. Furthermore, the trough concentration at 12 hours after the dose averaged 5.94 mcg/L, which is similar to the average milk level. Therefore, the peak and average milk levels and the RID are likely to be about double these values at steady-state, but still low (RID~0.05%).
Infant Levels. Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Alternatives LactMed lists
“No published information” means the studies do not exist yet — not that Cefditoren 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 “Cefditoren” (LM45). 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.