Is Benzocaine Safe in Breastfeeding
Question
I am a breastfeeding mother and i want to know if it is safe to use Benzocaine? Is Benzocaine safe for nursing mother and child? Does Benzocaine extracts into breast milk? Does Benzocaine has any long term or short term side effects on infants? Can Benzocaine influence milk supply or can Benzocaine decrease milk supply in lactating mothers?
Benzocaine lactation summary
- DrLact safety Score for Benzocaine is 1 out of 8 which is considered Safe as per our analyses.
- A safety Score of 1 indicates that usage of Benzocaine is mostly safe during lactation for breastfed baby.
- Our study of different scientific research also indicates that Benzocaine does not cause any serious side effects in breastfeeding mothers.
- Most of scientific studies and research papers declaring usage of Benzocaine 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 Benzocaine usage in lactation
At latest update, relevant published data on excretion into breast milk were not found. Topical anesthetics (intended for dermatological or oral use) when properly used, show limited systemic absorption which is practically nil, with nil or non-significant systemic levels in the plasma and breast milk. Benzocaine may induce appearance of methemoglobinemia and systemic toxicity if absorbed. Avoid use on the breast, otherwise, in case of use on the nipple, let it be done after a feed and wipe it out by thoroughly washing with water before the next feed. Do not apply creams, gels and other products that would contain paraffin (mineral oil) to avoid absorption by the infant since it is a hydrocarbon-derived substance.
Answer by DrLact: About Benzocaine usage in lactation
Topical benzocaine has not been studied during breastfeeding, but is unlikely to affect her breastfed infant if it is applied away from the breast. Benzocaine should not be applied to the breast or nipple, because the infant may ingest the drug during nursing and it has been associated with severe methemoglobinemia.
Alternate Drugs
Prilocaine(Safe)
Mepivacaine(Low Risk)
Cocaine(Dangerous)
Ropivacaine(Safe)
Bupivacaine(Safe)
Benzocaine(Safe)
Dibucaine(Low Risk)
Articaine(Safe)
Tetracaine(Safe)