Is Hydroquinone 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 Hydroquinone. The text below is quoted from that source — it is not our own verdict.
Summary of use during breastfeeding
Topical hydroquinone has not been studied during breastfeeding. Although hydroquinone is not contraindicated during breastfeeding, some experts feel that long-term use of hydroquinone should not be used in nursing mothers.[1,2] If hydroquinone is used, ensure that the infant's skin does not come into direct contact with the areas of maternal skin that have been treated and the infant does not ingest the product from the mother's skin.
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 Hydroquinone 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 “Hydroquinone” (LM1102). 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.