Is Ertapenem safe while breastfeeding?
Here is what NIH LactMed, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's authority on medicines and breastfeeding, reports about Ertapenem. This is a summary of that source — not our own verdict.
Effects on the breastfed infant
Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Effects on milk supply
Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Levels in milk
Maternal Levels. Five women who were 5 to 14 days postpartum received ertapenem 1 gram daily for 3 to 10 days for acute pelvic infections. Breastmilk samples were obtained before the first dose and twice during the 24 hours after the last dose as well as daily in the morning for 2 to 5 days after the last dose. Milk concentrations during the first 24 hours of the last dose ranged from 0.125 mg/L to 0.38 mg/L. Milk concentration was 0.125 mg/L by day 3 in 4 of the women and after 5 days in the 5th.[ 1 ] Infant Levels. Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
“No published information” means the studies do not exist yet — not that Ertapenem is known to be harmful, and not that it is known to be safe. Your prescriber or pharmacist can weigh your baby's age and whether a better-studied alternative would do the same job. Worth asking before stopping a medicine you need.
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.