Question

I am a breastfeeding mother and i want to know if it is safe to use Technetium Tc 99m Ethylenedicysteine? Is Technetium Tc 99m Ethylenedicysteine safe for nursing mother and child? Does Technetium Tc 99m Ethylenedicysteine extracts into breast milk? Does Technetium Tc 99m Ethylenedicysteine has any long term or short term side effects on infants? Can Technetium Tc 99m Ethylenedicysteine influence milk supply or can Technetium Tc 99m Ethylenedicysteine decrease milk supply in lactating mothers?

Answer by DrLact: About Technetium Tc 99m Ethylenedicysteine usage in lactation

Information in this record refers to the use of technetium Tc 99m ethylenedicysteine (Tc 99m L,L ethylenedicysteine; Tc 99m LL-EC) as a diagnostic agent. No recommendations have been published on the need to suspend breastfeeding after administration of Tc 99m LL-EC; however, it is similar to other Tc 99m products, so no suspension of breastfeeding appears to be required. To follow the principle of keeping exposure "as low as reasonably achievable", some experts recommend nursing the infant just before administration of the radiopharmaceutical and interrupting breastfeeding for 3 to 6 hours after the dose, then expressing the milk completely once and discarding it. If the mother has expressed and saved milk prior to the examination, she can feed it to the infant during the period of nursing interruption.[1][2][3] Mothers need not refrain from close contact with their infants after usual clinical doses.[4] Mothers concerned about the level of radioactivity in their milk could ask to have it tested at a nuclear medicine facility at their hospital. When the radioactivity is at a safe level she may resume breastfeeding. A method for measuring milk radioactivity and determining the time when a mother can safely resume breastfeeding has been published.[5] For nursing mothers who work with Tc 99m substances in their workplace, there is no need to take any precautions other than those appropriate for general radiation protection.[6]

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