Is Iron Sucrose 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 Iron Sucrose. The text below is quoted from that source — it is not our own verdict.
Summary of use during breastfeeding
Limited data indicate that breastmilk iron is not increased after intravenous infusion of iron sucrose. Amounts of iron ingested by the infant would be normal and are not expected to cause any adverse effects in breastfed infants. The oral form of the drug, called sucroferric oxyhydroxide and used as a phosphate binder, is not orally absorbed and it is unlikely to reach the breastmilk or adversely affect the breastfed infant. No special precautions are required. For additional information on iron use during breastfeeding, see the monograph on Iron Salts.
Effects on the breastfed infant
In a study of 104 women with postpartum anemia, 78 women received 300 mg of intravenous iron sucrose over 3 days. All women were breastfeeding and had amenorrhea. No adverse reactions were reported in their infants.[2]
Effects on milk supply
Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Levels in milk
Maternal Levels. Ten mothers who were iron deficient at 2 to 3 days postpartum received a single 100 mg dose of intravenous iron sucrose. The iron concentration in their colostrum was compared to those in 5 similar women who received no iron. Colostrum collected daily for 4 days after the injection contained average iron concentrations between 0.3 and 0.45 mg/kg of milk which is in the low end of the range for postpartum women. No difference in milk iron concentration was found between the treated and control mothers.[1]
Infant Levels. Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Alternatives LactMed lists
Iron Sucrose in pregnancy
LactMed covers breastfeeding only. For what the NHS and the US prescribing label say about pregnancy, see:
Source: Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), via NCBI Bookshelf, record “Iron Sucrose” (LM583). 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.