Is Fava Beans safe while breastfeeding?
Here is what NIH LactMed, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's authority on medicines and breastfeeding, reports about Fava Beans. This is a summary of that source — not our own verdict.
Effects on the breastfed infant
In a review of 67 cases of favism over a 3-year period by a physician in Cyprus, 2 of the cases were breastfed infants, aged 5 and 9 months. Their mothers reported eating fava beans, but not feeding any beans to their infants.[ 1 ] A 6-month-old Yemenite infant who was primarily breastfed with supplements of wheat flower became ill 2 days after his mother ate fava beans. He became pale, vomited and passed red urine. Urine output then ceased. On the day after admission to the hospital, he became semi-comatose with a BUN of 276 mg/dL and the next day he became comatose and died. Bilateral renal cortical necrosis was determined to be the cause of the infant's death.[ 2 ] A 4-month-old Israeli infant who was breastfed with supplementary cereals became ill after her mother ate fava beans. A day after fava bean ingestion, the infant's skin turned yellow. On admission, the infant's urine was dark and had elevated urobilinogen content. Reduced red cell glutathione was also found. After two transfusions, the infant recovered and six weeks later was shown to have G6PD deficiency. Both parents were probable carriers of the gene defect, but neither were affected.[ 3 ] Five hundred six children under 15 years of age were admitted to a Greek hospital over an 11-year period with signs of favism. Twenty-eight patients were less than 12 months of age. Of these, 18 were breastfed and developed symptoms 2 to 6 days after maternal ingestion of fava beans. Overall, the male to female ratio of the patients was 6.2 and the highest frequency of attacks was in May when fava beans ripened.[ 4 ] A 22-year-old Greek woman had a hemolytic event after eating in a Mexican restaurant in Nuremburg, Germany. Laboratory examination found that she was heterozygous for G6PD deficiency (3.1 units/gram of hemoglobin). Her father, mother and sister were also found to be heterozygous for G6PD deficiency. As a neonate, she reportedly suffered hemolysis and kidney failure while breastfeeding after her mother
Effects on milk supply
Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Levels in milk
Maternal Levels. Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date. Infant Levels. Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
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.