Background: Current knowledge regarding chronic use of psychotropic medications during breastfeeding and their effects on the breastfed infant is limited. The objective of this study was to determine and evaluate long-term effects of monotherapy with psychotropic medications during breastfeeding on the breastfed infant.
Methods: We prospectively enrolled consenting breast-feeding women calling the Drug Consultation Center (DCC) because of chronic use of psychotropic medications during lactation (n=395) and compared them to those inquiring regarding the ingestion of short-term antibiotics compatible with breast-feeding (n=152). Information on adverse effects, physical measures and gross motor developmental milestone achievement of the breastfed infant was obtained during a structured follow-up telephone interview.
Results: Use of psychotropic medications during breastfeeding was not associated with a significantly increased risk of adverse reactions in the nursing infant compared to the antibiotics group (adjusted odd ratio, 1.098; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.432 to 2.792), with the exception of diarrhea (0 and 4.6% of infants for the study and comparison groups, respectively (p = 0.001). There were no significant differences between the two groups with regards to height, weight, head circumference and weight-length ratio percentile of the baby (p = 0.339, p = 0.223, p = 0.738, p = 0.926, respectively), as well as to gross motor developmental milestone achievements (p = 0.302).
Conclusions: Chronic use of psychotropic monotherapy during breast-feeding appears to be safe for the neonate, with no increased risk of adverse reactions, including no delay in gross motor developmental milestone achievements, and no gross physical measures of delay.
