Is Cidofovir 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 Cidofovir. The text below is quoted from that source — it is not our own verdict.
Summary of use during breastfeeding
No information is available on the use of cidofovir during breastfeeding. Until more safety data become available, an alternate drug is preferred. Individuals with smallpox are recommended to not breastfeed their infant because of the risk of passing variola virus to the infant through direct contact. Providing pumped milk to the infant may be possible if no lesions are near the breast and adequate precautions are taken with respect to cleaning hands, breasts, breast pumps and any other apparatuses used to provide milk to the infant. Individuals with Mpox should feed their infants with pasteurized donor milk or infant formula until all of their lesions are healed. Numerous other safety precautions are advised for mothers with Mpox.[1]
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. Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
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 Cidofovir 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 “Cidofovir” (cidofovir). 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.