Is Deferiprone 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 Deferiprone. The text below is quoted from that source — it is not our own verdict.
Summary of use during breastfeeding
Deferiprone is likely actively transported into milk through binding with lactoferrin.[1] Because no information is available on the use of deferiprone during breastfeeding and it is orally absorbed, an alternate drug is preferred, especially while nursing a newborn or preterm infant. Australian guidelines recommend against breastfeeding during deferiprone treatment.[2] The US manufacturer recommends withholding breastfeeding for 2 weeks after the last dose.
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.
Alternatives LactMed lists
“No published information” means the studies do not exist yet — not that Deferiprone 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 “Deferiprone” (LM1232). 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.