Can I take esomeprazole while pregnant or breastfeeding?
A plain-words look at what the NHS, the US drug label and LactMed say about esomeprazole.
In short
Pregnancy: Esomeprazole is not recommended in pregnancy, because there is little information about its use by pregnant women.
Breastfeeding: You may be able to take esomeprazole while breastfeeding, but check with your doctor first.
Your doctor, midwife or pharmacist can help you decide.
What this means for you
Pregnancy
- Your doctor may suggest a similar medicine, omeprazole, as there is more safety information about it.
Breastfeeding
- Information on esomeprazole in breastfeeding is limited.
- It shows that some esomeprazole reaches breast milk, though probably not enough to be harmful.
- Side effects in breastfed babies from medicines their mother takes are rare.
- There's no evidence that esomeprazole lowers fertility in men or women.
- Even so, if you're trying for a baby, speak to a pharmacist or your doctor, as they may want to review your treatment.
- Let your doctor know if you're trying to get pregnant, are pregnant, or are breastfeeding.
When to get help
- Still, contact a healthcare professional or call NHS 111 (in the UK) if your baby: is not feeding as well as they usually do; is constipated, has diarrhoea or is vomiting; is irritable; has a rash; or is not sleeping well.
- If your baby has any other symptoms, or you're worried about them, you can still call 111 or get in touch with any healthcare professional.
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist
This page is educational, not advice for your own situation. Talk to your doctor, midwife or pharmacist before you start, stop or change any medicine in pregnancy or while breastfeeding.
The details: what each source says
Esomeprazole in pregnancy
The NHS says
Esomeprazole is not recommended in pregnancy, because there is little information about its use by pregnant women.
Your doctor may suggest a similar medicine, omeprazole, as there is more safety information about it.
In our words, from the NHS page Esomeprazole (nhs.uk). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (OGL v3.0). The NHS does not endorse this site.
The US drug label says
If pregnant or breast-feeding, ask a health professional before use.
Drug Facts label: Esomeprazole Magnesium (oral), Amazon.com Services LLC. Label on DailyMed. Quoted verbatim; US labels are written for US prescribers and patients.
8.1 Pregnancy Risk Summary There are no adequate and well-controlled studies with esomeprazole in pregnant women. Esomeprazole is the S-isomer of omeprazole. Available epidemiologic data fail to demonstrate an increased risk of major congenital malformations or other adverse pregnancy outcomes with first trimester omeprazole use ( see Data ). Reproduction studies in rats and rabbits resulted in dose-dependent embryo-lethality at omeprazole doses that were approximately 3.4 to 34 times an oral human dose of 40 mg (based on a body surface area for a 60 kg person). Teratogenicity was not observed in animal reproduction studies with administration of oral esomeprazole magnesium in rats and rabbits with doses about 68 times and 42 times, respectively, an oral human dose of 40 mg (based on a body surface area basis for a 60 kg person). Changes in bone morphology were observed in offspring of rats dosed through most of pregnancy and lactation at doses equal to or greater than approximately 34 times an oral human dose of 40 mg. When maternal administration was confined to gestation only, there were no effects on bone physeal morphology in the offspring at any age ( see Data ).
Prescribing label, section “8.1 Pregnancy” (opening excerpt): Esomeprazole Magnesium (oral), Bryant Ranch Prepack. Read the full section on DailyMed. Quoted verbatim; US labels are written for US prescribers and patients.
More on esomeprazole in pregnancy: Bumps (Best Use of Medicines in Pregnancy) leaflet (external site).
Esomeprazole while breastfeeding
The NHS says
You may be able to take esomeprazole while breastfeeding, but check with your doctor first.
Information on esomeprazole in breastfeeding is limited. It shows that some esomeprazole reaches breast milk, though probably not enough to be harmful.
Side effects in breastfed babies from medicines their mother takes are rare. Still, contact a healthcare professional or call NHS 111 (in the UK) if your baby: is not feeding as well as they usually do; is constipated, has diarrhoea or is vomiting; is irritable; has a rash; or is not sleeping well.
If your baby has any other symptoms, or you're worried about them, you can still call 111 or get in touch with any healthcare professional.
There's no evidence that esomeprazole lowers fertility in men or women. Even so, if you're trying for a baby, speak to a pharmacist or your doctor, as they may want to review your treatment.
Let your doctor know if you're trying to get pregnant, are pregnant, or are breastfeeding.
In our words, from the NHS page Esomeprazole (nhs.uk). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (OGL v3.0). The NHS does not endorse this site.
LactMed says
Esomeprazole is the S-enantiomer of the proton-pump inhibitor, omeprazole. Limited information indicates that maternal doses of 10 mg daily produce low levels in milk and would not be expected to cause any adverse effects in breastfed infants.
“Summary of Use during Lactation”, LactMed record “Esomeprazole” (LM412), quoted verbatim. Everything LactMed reports about Esomeprazole while breastfeeding.
The US prescribing label says
8.2 Lactation Risk Summary Esomeprazole is the S-isomer of omeprazole and limited data suggest that omeprazole may be present in human milk. There are no clinical data on the effects of esomeprazole on the breastfed infant or on milk production. The developmental and health benefits of breastfeeding should be considered along with the mother’s clinical need for Esomeprazole Magnesium Delayed-release Capsules and any potential adverse effects on the breastfed infant from Esomeprazole Magnesium Delayed-release Capsules or from the underlying maternal condition.
Prescribing label, section “8.2 Lactation”: Esomeprazole Magnesium (oral), Bryant Ranch Prepack. Label on DailyMed. Quoted verbatim; US labels are written for US prescribers and patients.
Other names
UK brand names (per the NHS): Nexium, Nexium Control, Emozul, Guardium Acid Reflux Control.
Indian brands (per NPPA): Nexpro.
Sources
- NHS, Esomeprazole (nhs.uk), page last reviewed 26 November 2025. Paraphrased. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- US drug label: Esomeprazole Magnesium (oral), Amazon.com Services LLC, human otc drug, label effective 27 August 2026, set ID 90d6a679-2968-4b20-a2a6-f3a9908a7e2e. DailyMed (National Library of Medicine). Public domain; quoted verbatim.
- US drug label: Esomeprazole Magnesium (oral), Bryant Ranch Prepack, human prescription drug, label effective 8 June 2026, set ID fed0e554-7d61-4957-9b91-356f3abc0777. DailyMed (National Library of Medicine). Public domain; quoted verbatim.
- Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), via NCBI Bookshelf, record “Esomeprazole” (LM412), bulk release of 22 September 2026. LactMed on NCBI Bookshelf. Public domain; quoted verbatim. LactMed is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
- Bumps (Best Use of Medicines in Pregnancy), UK Teratology Information Service: Bumps (Best Use of Medicines in Pregnancy) leaflet. Linked, not reproduced.
Sources checked 26 September 2026. How we source and check every page.
Educational summary of named sources, not medical advice.