Is Hydroquinone Safe in Breastfeeding

Question

I am a breastfeeding mother and i want to know if it is safe to use Hydroquinone? Is Hydroquinone safe for nursing mother and child? Does Hydroquinone extracts into breast milk? Does Hydroquinone has any long term or short term side effects on infants? Can Hydroquinone influence milk supply or can Hydroquinone decrease milk supply in lactating mothers?

Hydroquinone lactation summary

Hydroquinone usage has low risk in breastfeeding

DrLact safety Score for Hydroquinone is 3 out of 8 which is considered Low Risk as per our analyses.
A safety Score of 3 indicates that usage of Hydroquinone may cause some minor side effects in breastfed baby.
Our study of different scientific research indicates that Hydroquinone may cause moderate to no side effects in lactating mother.
Most of scientific studies and research papers declaring usage of Hydroquinone low risk in breastfeeding are based on normal dosage and may not hold true for higher dosage.
While using Hydroquinone We suggest monitoring child for possible reactions. It is also important to understand that side effects vary largely based on age of breastfed child and time of medication in addition to dosage.
Score calculated using the DrLact safety Version 1.2 model, this score ranges from 0 to 8 and measures overall safety of drug in lactation. Scores are primarily calculated using publicly available case studies, research papers, other scientific journals and publically available data.

Answer by Dr. Ru: About Hydroquinone usage in lactation

Benzene derivative which is topically used with creams and solutions (2-4%) as a bleaching agent for several skin disorders associated to hyper-pigmentation. In industry it is used as photographic developer. TLV or threshold limit value which means maximum exposure limit for workers is 2 mg / m3 (Flickinger 1976). At latest update relevant published data were not found on excretion into breast milk. It is well absorbed through the skin, both when used as a therapeutic agent (Bucks 1998, Wester 1998, Westerhof 2005, Andersen 2010, Bozzo 2011) or industrial use (Barber 1995, McGregor 2007), however, a significant excretion into breastmilk is not likely for their lack of fat solubility. There is controversy and doubt about a possible mutagenic and carcinogenic effect (Kooyers 2004, FDA 2006, Levitt 2007, Andersen 2010), so it does not seem wise a chronic or continued use while breastfeeding. Do not apply it on the breast to prevent ingestion by the infant; otherwise, do it just after a meal and clean the nipple thoroughly with water before the next feed.Do not apply it over large areas or on long-term treatments to avoid an excessive systemic absorption.

Answer by DrLact: About Hydroquinone usage in lactation

Topical hydroquinone has not been studied during breastfeeding. Hydroquinone is not contraindicated during breastfeeding and if hydroquinone is required by the mother, it is not a reason to discontinue breastfeeding. However, some experts feel that long-term use of hydroquinone is difficult to justify in a nursing mother.[1] 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.