Is Gadopentetate safe while breastfeeding?
Here is what NIH LactMed, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's authority on medicines and breastfeeding, reports about Gadopentetate. 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. A lactating woman who was weaning her infant (time postpartum not stated) was given an intravenous dose of 5.8 mmol (5.4 g) of gadopentetate dimeglumine which was equivalent to 0.1 mmol/kg. Samples of expressed breastmilk were obtained 6 times during the following 32.7 hours with the mother trying to completely empty the breasts at each time. Milk was analyzed for elemental gadolinium. The highest amount of gadolinium in milk of 5.1 micromoles/L was detected at 4.8 hours after the dose. At 22 hours after the dose, milk levels were less than 1 micromole/L. About 0.66 micromole (0.6 mg) of gadopentetate was excreted over the time of milk collection. This amounted to about 0.01% of the mother's total (not weight-adjusted) dose.[ 5 ] A mother who was 13 weeks postpartum was given an intravenous dose of 7 mmol (6.6 g) of gadopentetate dimeglumine which was equivalent to 0.1 mmol/kg. Breastmilk was collected from each breast at 2, 11, 17 and 24 hours after the dose. Milk was analyzed for elemental gadolinium. The highest amounts in milk were in the 2-hour sample, having 2.8 and 3.4 micromoles/L (2.6 and 3.2 mg/L) in the milk from each breast respectively. At 11 hours, the values were 2.8 and 2.9 micromoles/L; by hour 17, the amounts in milk were at or below the detection limit of about 1 micromole/L. The authors estimated that 1.6 micromoles (1.5 mg) or 0.023% of the maternal dose (not weight-adjusted) would be excreted in the 24 hours after administration.[ 6 ] Nineteen women received intravenous gadopentetate, in a dose of 0.1 mmol/kg (n = 18) or 0.2 mmol/kg (n = 1). The mothers withheld nursing for 24 hours and emptied both breasts completely at times chosen by the mother based on her own normal breastfeeding times. For the 18 subjects who received the lower dose, the average dose in milk was 5.9 mmol (range 4.8 to 7.4 mmol). The woman who received double the dose had milk gadolinium excretion in the same range as the others. Milk was analyzed for elem
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.