Is Sucralfate 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 Sucralfate. The text below is quoted from that source — it is not our own verdict.
Summary of use during breastfeeding
No data are available on sucralfate use during breastfeeding; however, it is virtually unabsorbed orally. Most authorities consider sucralfate acceptable to use during breastfeeding.[1-4] No special precautions are required, including following application to the nipples in a skin cream.
Effects on the breastfed infant
Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Effects on milk supply
A study of mother with cracked nipples compared the effects of soft paraffin (petrolatum) (n = 47) to a commercial cream containing sucralfate, zinc and copper (Cicalfate-Avene, France) (n = 68). Reduction of nipple cracking judged by a blinded dermatologist was 3.3 to 5.3 times greater in the sucralfate group compared to the petrolatum group.[5]
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
Source: Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), via NCBI Bookshelf, record “Sucralfate” (LM475). 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.