Is Permethrin safe while breastfeeding?
Here is what NIH LactMed, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's authority on medicines and breastfeeding, reports about Permethrin. This is a summary of that source — not our own verdict.
Effects on the breastfed infant
In a telephone follow-up study, 5 mothers who used permethrin during breastfeeding reported no adverse reactions in their breastfed infants.[ 14 ]
Effects on milk supply
Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Levels in milk
Maternal Levels . Permethrin was measured in 53 breastmilk samples from 29 mothers collected 1998 to 1999 in Basel Switzerland. Permethrin was detected in 25 milk samples, even in mothers from households that reported no permethrin use. The average permethrin concentration was 74 mcg/kg of fat (range undetectable [ 60 mcg/kg] to 152 mcg/kg fat).[ 8 ] Permethrin was found in the breastmilk of nursing mothers in 3 South African towns. Average levels in breastmilk ranged from 8.3 to 48.4 mcg/L in the 3 towns. The source was thought to be from a dusting powder widely available and used in gardening. The dosage and route of exposure (i.e., topical, inhalation, oral) could not be determined. All milk levels were below the allowable daily limit for permethrin.[ 9 , 10 ] Samples of mature milk were collected in 2002 from 22 mothers in Mozambique where pyrethrins were used for mosquito control in the thatching of homes from 1993 to 2000 and continued to be used in bed netting after this period. The average permethrin concentration in the milk samples was 79 mcg/kg of lipid; the median concentration was 55 mcg/kg of lipid (range 10 to 230 mcg/kg of lipid). The milk permethrin levels in all mothers were below the allowable daily limit for permethrin.[ 11 ] Breastmilk samples from mothers in Brazil, Colombia and Spain were analyzed for pyrethroids. Permethrin was detected in all samples, regardless of reported household usage. Samples from rural Brazil (n = 9) contained a mean permethrin concentration of 3.57 ng/gram of lipid. Samples from Sao Paulo (n = 8) contained a mean permethrin concentration of 0.36 ng/gram of lipid. Samples from Santiago de Cali, Colombia (n = 27) contained a mean permethrin concentration of 0.91 ng/gram of lipid. Samples from Barcelona, Spain (n = 6) contained a mean permethrin concentration of 2.2 ng/gram of lipid. Other pyrethroids were also detected, but estimated daily intakes by breastfed infants were all below acceptable daily intake limits.[ 12
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.