Question

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

Montelukast lactation summary

Montelukast is safe in breastfeeding
  • DrLact safety Score for Montelukast is 1 out of 8 which is considered Safe as per our analyses.
  • A safety Score of 1 indicates that usage of Montelukast is mostly safe during lactation for breastfed baby.
  • Our study of different scientific research also indicates that Montelukast does not cause any serious side effects in breastfeeding mothers.
  • Most of scientific studies and research papers declaring usage of Montelukast safe in breastfeeding are based on normal dosage and may not hold true for higher 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 Montelukast usage in lactation

Pharmacokinetic data (moderately high molecular weight and high protein-binding capacity) explain an observed very low excretion into breastmilk (Datta 2016). A drug of the same group and similar effect, Zafirlukast, is also excreted into breastmilk in non-significant amounts. It is a licensed medication to be used in infants from 6 months of age on. Indeed, it has been used as early as 3 months of age with the same tolerance observed in older children.

Answer by DrLact: About Montelukast usage in lactation

Very low levels of montelukast appear in breastmilk. Montelukast is approved for use in children as young as 6 months of age and has been used in neonates in dosages far greater than the amounts in breastmilk. Amounts ingested by the infant would not be expected to cause any adverse effects in breastfed infants No special precautions are required.
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.