Is Skin Whitening Safe in Breastfeeding
Question
I am a breastfeeding mother and i want to know if it is safe to use Skin Whitening? Is Skin Whitening safe for nursing mother and child? Does Skin Whitening extracts into breast milk? Does Skin Whitening has any long term or short term side effects on infants? Can Skin Whitening influence milk supply or can Skin Whitening decrease milk supply in lactating mothers?
Skin Whitening lactation summary
- DrLact safety Score for Skin Whitening is 3 out of 8 which is considered Low Risk as per our analyses.
- A safety Score of 3 indicates that usage of Skin Whitening may cause some minor side effects in breastfed baby.
- Our study of different scientific research indicates that Skin Whitening may cause moderate to no side effects in lactating mother.
- Most of scientific studies and research papers declaring usage of Skin Whitening low risk in breastfeeding are based on normal dosage and may not hold true for higher dosage.
- While using Skin Whitening 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 Skin Whitening 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.