Question

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

Answer by DrLact: About Benzalkonium Chloride usage in lactation

Topical maternal application of benzalkonium chloride or benzethonium chloride or their presence as a preservative in pharmaceuticals would not be expected to cause any adverse effects in breastfed infants.

Benzalkonium Chloride Side Effects in Breastfeeding

A study in Japan randomized 80 consecutive term patients into 4 groups who received either povidone-iodine or benzethonium chloride as a skin disinfectant before delivery and one of these for postpartum vaginal lacerations. Prepartum doses were about 7 mL and postpartum doses were about 0.5 mL of solution. Infant thyrotropin levels were elevated in the infants whose mothers received topical povidone-iodine pre- and postpartum compared to infants whose mothers received benzethonium chloride.[2]

Alternate Drugs

Iodine(Unsafe)
Mupirocin(Safe)
Moxifloxacin(Low Risk)
Cefepime(Safe)
Methicillin(Low Risk)
Iodine(Unsafe)
Cefdinir(Safe)
Methenamine(Unsafe)
Cefazolin(Safe)
Mupirocin(Safe)
Cefaclor(Safe)
Lomefloxacin(Low Risk)
Levofloxacin(Low Risk)
Kanamycin(Safe)
Aztreonam(Safe)
Cefprozil(Safe)
Erythromycin(Low Risk)
Ofloxacin(Safe)
Clindamycin(Low Risk)
Gatifloxacin(Low Risk)
Cefoxitin(Safe)
Enoxacin(Low Risk)
Cefotetan(Safe)
Doxycycline(Low Risk)
Neomycin(Safe)
Capreomycin(Low Risk)
Amikacin(Safe)
Nalidixic Acid(Low Risk)
Ertapenem(Safe)
Demeclocycline(Low Risk)
Nafcillin(Safe)
Cefixime(Safe)

Synonyms of Benzalkonium Chloride

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