Question

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

Calcitriol lactation summary

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

Daily allowance of Vitamin D for the breastfeeding woman is 400 IU per day which may be attained by a comprehensive and balanced diet. When treated do not exceed 6.400 IU per day and, if prolonged used, check-up for mother’s and child’s calcemia.A balanced and comprehensive diet make it vitamin supplementation useless. See below the information of these related products:

Answer by DrLact: About Calcitriol usage in lactation

Calcitriol is the normal physiologically active form of vitamin D, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D. Limited data indicate that its use in nursing mothers in appropriately adjusted doses does not affect the breastfed infant. If calcitriol is required by the mother, it is not a reason to discontinue breastfeeding. Calcitriol and calcium dosage requirements are usually reduced during lactation in women with hypoparathyroidism.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8] The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the administration of a minimum of 400 IU of vitamin D daily to all infants, children and adolescents.[9]

Calcitriol Side Effects in Breastfeeding

A woman with hypoparathyroidism breastfed her infant from week 1 to week 32 postpartum while taking calcitriol. The dose was initially 0.5 mcg daily, but was decreased to 0.25 mcg daily after 8 weeks. The infant thrived during breastfeeding and had normal serum calcium levels at 1 and 3 weeks and 3 months of age.[3] A woman breastfed infants after two pregnancies while taking calcitriol in doses of 0.75 and 1 mcg daily. There were no reports of adverse reactions.[10] A woman breastfed her newborn infant for 9 days while taking calcitriol 0.5 mcg three times daily. Calcitriol was stopped at that time because of hypercalcemia, but restarted at 40 days postpartum in low doses that were gradually increased until the prepregnancy dosage of 1.5 mcg daily was reached just before weaning at 12.5 months postpartum.[5] A woman with discoid lupus was taking calcitriol 0.25 mcg every 2 days and several other medications concurrently. Her infant was breastfed for 12 months and followed up at 15 months of age. No adverse effects were reported during breastfeeding and the infant was growing and developing normally at 15 months of age.[11]
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.