Is Clindamycin safe while breastfeeding?
Here is what NIH LactMed, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's authority on medicines and breastfeeding, reports about Clindamycin. This is a summary of that source — not our own verdict.
Effects on the breastfed infant
Bloody stools in a 5-day-old breastfed infant were possibly caused by concurrent maternal clindamycin 600 mg intravenously every 6 hours and gentamicin 80 mg intravenously every 8 hours. The infant's stools were reported to have normal flora and the stools became guaiac negative 24 hours after discontinuation of breastfeeding. On day 6 of age, the infant resumed breastfeeding after discontinuation of maternal antibiotics with no further difficulties.[ 7 ]
Effects on milk supply
Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Levels in milk
Maternal Levels. Two women were given clindamycin 150 mg orally. Breastmilk levels of clindamycin averaged 1.3 mg/L 4 hours after the dose.[ 2 ] Two women were treated with clindamycin 600 mg intravenously every 6 hours followed by 300 mg orally every 6 hours (time postpartum not stated). Peak milk levels after the intravenous dose were 2.65 mg/L at 3.5 hours after the dose in one and 3.1 mg/L at 30 minutes after the dose in the other. During the oral regimen, peak milk levels were 1.3 mg/L at 3.5 hours after the dose in the first woman and 1.8 mg/L at 2 hours after the dose in the other.[ 3 ] Five women were given oral clindamycin 150 mg three times daily during the first 2 weeks postpartum. Milk levels were measured after at least 1 week of therapy and averaged 1.2 mg/L (range 0.5 mg/L to 3.1 mg/L) 6 hours after the dose.[ 4 ] After a single oral dose of 150 mg of clindamycin in 2 women, milk levels averaged from 0.3 to 1.2 mg/L between 1 and 6 hours after the dose. The peak occurred at 2 hours after the dose in one woman and 4 hours after the dose in the other.[ 5 ] After a single dose of 600 mg of clindamycin intravenously to 15 women who were 1 month postpartum, milk clindamycin levels averaged 1.03 mg/L at 2 hours after the dose.[ 6 ] Infant Levels. Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Alternatives LactMed lists
Source: NIH LactMed (National Library of Medicine).
Educational summary of an authoritative source — not medical advice. Never start, stop, or change a medicine while breastfeeding without confirming with your doctor.