Is Sodium Ferric Gluconate Complex 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 Sodium Ferric Gluconate Complex. The text below is quoted from that source — it is not our own verdict.
Summary of use during breastfeeding
No information is available on the use of sodium ferric gluconate complex during breastfeeding. Ferrlecit contains 9 mg/mL of benzyl alcohol, which may enter breastmilk and be absorbed by the infant. An alternate intravenous drug with more published data available may be preferred. For additional information on iron use during breastfeeding, see the monograph on Iron Salts.
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 Sodium Ferric Gluconate Complex 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 “Sodium Ferric Gluconate Complex” (LM1184). 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.