Is Piperacillin 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 Piperacillin. The text below is quoted from that source — it is not our own verdict.
Summary of use during breastfeeding
Limited information indicates that piperacillin 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 have been reported with penicillins, but these effects have not been adequately evaluated. Piperacillin 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. Piperacillin in a dosage of 4 grams intravenously every 8 hours for at least 3 days was given to 8 women. Milk levels were measured after 2 subsequent doses. After the first dose, milk levels ranged from 0.49 to 1.5 mg/L in the 3 hours after the dose. After the second dose, milk levels ranged from 1.1 to 1.9 mg/L in the 3 hours after the dose. Peak milk levels occurred 2 to 3 hours after the dose.[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 Piperacillin 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 “Piperacillin” (LM217). 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.