Question

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

Botulinum Toxin lactation summary

Botulinum Toxin usage has low risk in breastfeeding
  • DrLact safety Score for Botulinum Toxin is 3 out of 8 which is considered Low Risk as per our analyses.
  • A safety Score of 3 indicates that usage of Botulinum Toxin may cause some minor side effects in breastfed baby.
  • Our study of different scientific research indicates that Botulinum Toxin may cause moderate to no side effects in lactating mother.
  • Most of scientific studies and research papers declaring usage of Botulinum Toxin low risk in breastfeeding are based on normal dosage and may not hold true for higher dosage.
  • While using Botulinum Toxin 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 Botulinum Toxin usage in lactation

Botulism is a severe disease caused by bacteria called Clostridium botulinum. The bacterium produces a paralyzing toxin which is used for treatment of muscle spasticity and other disorders. Reportedly, a woman affected of severe Botulinum disease nursed her 8 months old son during illness. Neither bacteria nor toxin were detected in both mother’s milk and stools of the infant, who did not show symptoms of disease. Also, anti-toxin medication given to the mother did not produce side-effects on the child. A high molecular weight along with a strong and rapid adherence to muscle plaque by toxin could explain its low excretion into breast milk. When adequately and locally administered, serum levels of toxin should be low. An infant born at 36 weeks of gestation, who had received intra-esophagus treatment with Botulinum toxin for achalasia during the last weeks of pregnancy, appeared healthy and did not show symptoms of hypotonia. Mother’s milk shows neutralizing capacity against Botulinum Toxin. It has been shown that the secretory IgA is able to bind the B fraction of toxin, resulting in inhibition of toxin attachment to intestinal cells and hence impairing absorption. It would explain that severity of disease is lower among breastfed infants than bottle-fed ones, with no death cases reported and delay in appearance of symptoms among breastfed infants in cases of Infant Botulism type B.

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Disclaimer: Information presented in this database is not meant as a substitute for professional judgment. You should consult your healthcare provider for breastfeeding advice related to your particular situation. We do not warrant or assume any liability or responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the information on this Site.