Question

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

Answer by DrLact: About Magnesium citrate (VAN) usage in lactation

No information is available on the clinical use of Magnesium citrate (VAN) during breastfeeding. However, other magnesium salts have been studied. Intravenous magnesium sulfate increases milk magnesium concentrations only slightly. Oral absorption of magnesium by the infant is poor, so maternal Magnesium citrate (VAN) is not expected to affect the breastfed infant's serum magnesium. Magnesium citrate (VAN) supplementation during pregnancy might delay the onset of lactation, but it can be taken during breastfeeding and no special precautions are required.

Magnesium citrate (VAN) Side Effects in Breastfeeding

Fifty mothers who were in the first day postpartum received 15 mL of either mineral oil or an emulsion of mineral oil and another magnesium salt, magnesium hydroxide equivalent to 900 mg of magnesium hydroxide, although the exact number who received each product was not stated. Additional doses were given on subsequent days if needed. None of the breastfed infants were noted to have any markedly abnormal stools, but all of the infants also received supplemental feedings.[2]

Magnesium citrate (VAN) Possible Effects in Breastfeeding

One mother who received intravenous magnesium sulfate for 3 days for pregnancy-induced hypertension had lactogenesis II delayed until day 10 postpartum. No other specific cause was found for the delay, although a complete work-up was not done.[3] A subsequent controlled clinical trial found no evidence of delayed lactation in mothers who received intravenous magnesium sulfate therapy.[4] Some, but not all, studies have found a trend toward increased time to the first feeding or decreased sucking in infants of mothers treated with intravenous magnesium sulfate during labor because of placental transfer of magnesium to the fetus.[4][5] A study in 40 pairs of matched healthy women with vaginally delivered singleton pregnancies, outcome endpoints were compared in those receiving continuous oral magnesium aspartate HCl supplementation mean dose of 459 mg daily (range 365 to 729 mg of magnesium daily) for at least 4 weeks before delivery versus non-supplemented controls. In the magnesium group, significantly fewer women could breastfeed their infants exclusively at discharge (63% vs 80%).[6]
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