Is Ertapenem 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 Ertapenem. The text below is quoted from that source — it is not our own verdict.
Summary of use during breastfeeding
Limited information indicates that ertapenem 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 has been reported with beta-lactams, but these effects have not been adequately evaluated. Ertapenem 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. Five women who were 5 to 14 days postpartum received ertapenem 1 gram daily for 3 to 10 days for acute pelvic infections. Breastmilk samples were obtained before the first dose and twice during the 24 hours after the last dose as well as daily in the morning for 2 to 5 days after the last dose. Milk concentrations during the first 24 hours of the last dose ranged from <0.125 mg/L to 0.38 mg/L. Milk concentration was <0.125 mg/L by day 3 in 4 of the women and after 5 days in the 5th.[1]
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 Ertapenem 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 “Ertapenem” (LM691). 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.