This sheet is about exposure to ciprofloxacin in pregnancy and while breastfeeding. This information is based on published research studies. It should not take the place of medical care and advice from your healthcare provider. 

What is ciprofloxacin?  

Ciprofloxacin (Cipro®) is an antibiotic that has been used to treat a variety of bacterial infections. It is part of a group of antibiotics called quinolones or fluoroquinolones.  

Sometimes when women find out they are pregnant, they think about changing how they take their medication, or stopping their medication altogether. However, it is important to talk with your healthcare providers before making any changes to how you take your medication. Your healthcare providers can talk with you about the benefits of treating your condition and the risks of untreated illness during pregnancy. 

I take ciprofloxacin. Can it make it harder for me to get pregnant?  

It is not known if taking ciprofloxacin can make it harder to get pregnant. 

Does taking ciprofloxacin increase the chance of miscarriage?  

Miscarriage is common and can occur in any pregnancy for many different reasons. Studies looking at over 2,000 pregnancies exposed to ciprofloxacin in the first trimester did not find an increased chance of miscarriage. One of these reports was a prescription record study. Studies based on filled prescriptions/prescription records are limited, because prescription records cannot tell if a person really took the medication. Some information suggests the use of ciprofloxacin in early pregnancy can increase the chance of miscarriage. However, it is hard to know if the medication, the condition being treated, or other factors are the cause of the increased chance.  

Does taking ciprofloxacin increase the chance of birth defects? 

Birth defects can happen in any pregnancy for different reasons. Out of all babies born each year, about 3 out of 100 (3%) will have a birth defect. We look at research studies to try to understand if an exposure, like ciprofloxacin, might increase the chance of birth defects in a pregnancy. Most research has not found an increased chance of birth defects when ciprofloxacin is taken during the first trimester of pregnancy.  

Most studies on ciprofloxacin use during pregnancy involve short-term treatment lasting only 5 to 7 days, so there is limited information on the effects of longer use. However, in 7 cases where ciprofloxacin was taken for 3 weeks to 3 months, no increased chance of birth defects was reported. 

Does taking ciprofloxacin increase the chance of other pregnancy-related problems? 

Studies have not been done to see if ciprofloxacin can increase the chance of pregnancy-related problems such as preterm delivery (birth before week 37) or low birth weight (weighing less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces [2500 grams] at birth). 

Does taking ciprofloxacin in pregnancy affect future behavior or learning for the child? 

Ciprofloxacin’s possible effects on future learning or behavior for the child have not been well-studied. One study found that taking ciprofloxacin in the third trimester might be linked to a higher chance of hyperactivity and trouble paying attention in exposed children. 

Breastfeeding while taking ciprofloxacin:   

There are 13 case reports about using ciprofloxacin while breastfeeding. These suggest that the nursing child gets a small amount of the medication through breast milk. This amount is much less than doses given directly to a baby for treatment. If you take ciprofloxacin while breastfeeding, watch your baby for signs like diarrhea or a yeast infection (such as thrush or a diaper rash). If you notice any of these symptoms, contact your baby’s healthcare provider. 

Ciprofloxacin can also be prescribed as an eye or ear drop. In these cases, the amount of medication that gets to the milk is expected to be less than with oral use. Be sure to talk to your healthcare provider about all your breastfeeding questions. 

If a man takes ciprofloxacin, could it affect fertility or increase the chance of birth defects? 

Studies have not been done to see if taking ciprofloxacin could affect male fertility (ability to get a woman pregnant) or increase the chance of birth defects. In general, exposures that fathers or sperm donors have are unlikely to increase risks to a pregnancy. For more information, please see the MotherToBaby fact sheet Paternal Exposures at https://mothertobaby.org/fact-sheets/paternal-exposures-pregnancy/.  

Please click here to view references.

This sheet is about the possible exposures during breastfeeding after a natural disaster. This information is based on available published literature. It should not take the place of medical care and advice from your healthcare provider. 

What could I be exposed to in a natural disaster? 

While many substances enter breast milk, most are not likely to harm a breastfed baby. In most cases, the benefits of breastfeeding outweigh any risk from an exposure. However, if you notice anything unusual in your nursing baby, tell your healthcare providers right away. This is especially important after a natural disaster, when you or your baby could be exposed to things you wouldn’t usually be around.  

Vaccinations 

Vaccinations are given to protect people from serious diseases. Vaccinations are important for both the woman who is breastfeeding and the nursing baby for their individual health. Vaccines can be “live” or “inactivated”. Inactivated vaccines do not contain a live virus. This means they are noninfectious and cannot give a person the disease that it is given to prevent.  

Vaccinations that you might be given following a natural disaster include hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and/or tetanus. In most cases, these vaccinations are compatible with breastfeeding. Other vaccinations might be needed after some disasters. Check with your healthcare provider and local health officials about which vaccines are recommended if a natural disaster has occurred in your area.  

Infections  

Some infections are common after a natural disaster. A local infection on the skin of a woman who is breastfeeding is not usually dangerous to a breastfeeding baby. More serious infections such as those caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Vibrio, West Nile virus, hepatitis A virus, hepatitis B virus and others can be more complicated. If you think you have an infection, talk to a healthcare provider right away.  

In general, a woman who has an infection can continue to breastfeed. Be sure to drink plenty of liquids when you have an infection or other illness to help keep you hydrated. If you become severely dehydrated, you may become ill and it might reduce the amount of milk you are able to make.  

Medication 

There are many reasons why a person may need to take medication after a natural disaster, such as having an infection or other illness. Many medications are compatible with breastfeeding. Other medications might affect a baby that is breastfeeding. If you need to take medication, for any reason, be sure to tell your healthcare provider that you are breastfeeding, so you get the medication that is right for you and your baby. Watch the baby for side effects while you are taking any medication. If your baby develops a rash, hives, has a change in weight, sleeping habits, or if you notice anything else unusual, tell your healthcare provider right away.  

Insect Repellant 

Using insect repellant is an important way to help protect from infections spread by mosquitoes and ticks. A bite from an infected mosquito could give you a serious illness such as West Nile virus or Zika virus. Lyme disease comes from an infected tick. The most common active ingredient in insect repellant is DEET. It is not known whether the DEET you put on your skin passes into breast milk. However, only about 6-8% of the DEET put on your skin gets into your body. This means that very little DEET is expected to get into your breast milk. A woman who is breastfeeding should follow the same recommendations that are given for the use of DEET in children. These include applying the insect repellant with DEET to your clothing and then only putting it on uncovered skin such as your hands and face. Never apply insect repellant to the breast area. Wash your hands after applying insect repellant and before handling your baby or breastfeeding so that the baby’s mouth is not exposed to DEET.  

Other ways to lower your chance of being bitten by a mosquito or tick include staying indoors with proper screens during peak times of mosquito activity (usually overnight from dusk through dawn, although some mosquitos are active at all times of day and night).  It is also best to wear long pants, long-sleeved shirts, a hat, and shoes with socks while outdoors when possible.  

Cleaning Agents 

Typical household use of cleaning agents is not expected to produce levels in breast milk that could hurt a baby. To help protect yourself, wear gloves when using cleaning agents; also keep fresh air moving into your work area (open windows/doors and/or run a ventilation fan). Wash hands well after handling cleaning supplies. 

Pollutants 

Exposure to low levels of environmental chemicals is usually not a reason to stop breastfeeding. The benefits of breastfeeding generally outweigh the risks of exposure to low levels of environmental chemicals. If you think that you may have been exposed to high amounts of a harmful chemical, contact your healthcare provider as soon as possible.  

If you have been exposed to lead, a blood test can tell if the level is high. Usually, a woman does not have to stop breastfeeding unless the level of lead in their blood is very high.  

What if I need to give my baby formula?  

If you give your baby formula, it is best to use single serving containers of ready-to-feed formula whenever possible. This is especially important if the water supply is not clean or safe to drink or if the electricity is off. Ready-to-feed formula does not need added water and it does not need to be kept in a refrigerator. Local authorities will tell you if your water supply is safe to drink or to use for cooking or bathing.  

If ready-to-feed formula is not available, use bottled water to mix powdered or concentrated formula. If bottled water is not available, use boiled water. Bringing water to a rolling boil for 1 minute will kill most disease-causing organisms, but it will not remove chemicals.   

Do not use water that has been treated with iodine or chlorine tablets to prepare formula unless you do not have bottled water and cannot boil your water. Be sure to clean bottles and nipples thoroughly with bottled, boiled, or treated water before every use. Always wash your hands before preparing formula and before feeding your baby. If you do not have clean water for washing hands, use alcohol-based hand sanitizers.  

Where can I find more information on specific exposures through breast milk?  

MotherToBaby has fact sheets about many exposures which include information about breastfeeding (https://mothertobaby.org/fact-sheets-parent/).  

Please click here for references. 

This sheet is about exposure to carisoprodol in pregnancy and while breastfeeding. This information is based on available literature. It should not take the place of medical care and advice from your healthcare provider.

What is carisoprodol?

Carisoprodol is a medication that has been used to treat muscle pain and stiffness from muscle spasms. Two brand names are Soma® and Vanadom®.

Sometimes when women find out they are pregnant, they think about changing how they take their medication, or stopping their medication altogether. However, it is important to talk with your healthcare providers before making any changes to how you take your medication. Your healthcare providers can talk with you about the benefits of treating your condition and the risks of untreated illness during pregnancy.

I take carisoprodol. Can it make it harder for me to get pregnant?

It is not known if carisoprodol can make it harder to get pregnant.

Does taking carisoprodol increase the chance of miscarriage?

Miscarriage is common and can occur in any pregnancy for many different reasons. Studies have not been done to see if carisoprodol can increase the chance of miscarriage.

Does taking carisoprodol increase the chance of birth defects?

Every pregnancy starts out with a 3-5% chance of having a birth defect. This is called the background risk. It is not known if carisoprodol use in pregnancy could increase the chance of birth defects. Experimental animal studies did not find a higher chance of birth defects. Studies on pregnant women have not been done to see if carisoprodol could increase the chance of birth defects. There have been some case reports of babies with birth defects after the use of carisoprodol in human pregnancy, but there have also been case reports that have not noted birth defects. Case reports are not the same as studies and cannot provide enough information to learn how carisoprodol would affect a woman’s pregnancy.

Does taking carisoprodol in pregnancy increase the chance of other pregnancy-related problems?

Studies have not been done to see if carisoprodol can increase the chance of pregnancy-related problems such as preterm delivery (birth before week 37) or low birth weight (weighing less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces [2500 grams] at birth). There have been some case reports of normal pregnancy outcomes after exposure to carisoprodol.

Does taking carisoprodol in pregnancy affect future behavior or learning for the child?

Studies have not been done to see if carisoprodol can increase the chance of behavior or learning issues for the child.

Breastfeeding while taking carisoprodol:

Carisoprodol has not been well studied for use during breastfeeding. Carisoprodol gets into breastmilk in small amounts. There are 3 case reports of women using carisoprodol while breastfeeding. One report described the nursing infant as being a little sleepier than expected while nursing. In other cases, there were no unusual findings in the nursing children. If you suspect your baby has any symptoms (such as being too sleepy or difficult to wake for feedings) contact your child’s healthcare provider. Be sure to talk to your healthcare provider about all your breastfeeding questions.

If a man takes carisoprodol, could it affect his fertility or increase the chance of birth defects?

Studies have not been done to see if carisoprodol could affect a man’s fertility (ability to get a woman pregnant) or increase the chance of birth defects. An experimental animal study did not find carisoprodol to affect male fertility. In general, exposures that fathers or sperm donors have are unlikely to increase risks to a pregnancy. For more information, please see the MotherToBaby fact sheet Paternal Exposures at https://mothertobaby.org/fact-sheets/paternal-exposures-pregnancy/.

Please click here for references. 

This sheet is about exposure to pheniramine in pregnancy and while breastfeeding. This information is based on available published literature. It should not take the place of medical care and advice from your healthcare provider.

What is pheniramine?

Pheniramine is an antihistamine that has been approved to treat allergy symptoms such as stuffy nose and swollen eyes. It has also been used to treat dermatitis (inflammation of the skin) and motion sickness. Pheniramine might be listed as pheniramine maleate on medication labels. Pheniramine can be found in over-the-counter multi-symptom medications.

Sometimes when women find out they are pregnant, they think about changing how they take their medication, or stopping their medication altogether. However, it is important to talk with your healthcare providers before making any changes to how you take your medication. Your healthcare providers can talk with you about the benefits of treating your condition and the risks of untreated illness during pregnancy.

I take pheniramine. Can it make it harder for me to get pregnant?

Studies have not been done to see if pheniramine could make it harder to get pregnant.

Does taking pheniramine increase the chance of miscarriage?

Miscarriage is common and can occur in any pregnancy for many different reasons. Studies have not been done to see if pheniramine increases the chance of a miscarriage.

Does taking pheniramine increase the chance of birth defects?

Every pregnancy starts out with a 3-5% chance of having a birth defect. This is called the background risk. Information on the use of pheniramine in human pregnancy is very limited. Data from a birth registry suggested a link between use of pheniramine from one month before pregnancy through the 1st trimester and cleft lip/palate (an opening in the upper lip or the roof of the mouth), spina bifida (opening in the spine), and choanal atresia (narrowing or blockage of the nasal passageway that can cause trouble breathing). However, this data looked at and reported on several medications as a group, and not just pheniramine alone. Because the data is so limited, it is not known if pheniramine increases the chance of birth defects above the background risk.

Does taking pheniramine in pregnancy increase the chance of other pregnancy-related problems?

It is not known if pheniramine can cause other pregnancy-related problems, such as preterm delivery (birth before week 37) or low birth weight (weighing less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces [2500 grams] at birth).

Does taking pheniramine in pregnancy affect future behavior or learning for the child?

Studies have not been done to see if pheniramine causes behavior or learning issues for the child.

Breastfeeding while taking pheniramine:

Pheniramine has not been studied for use during breastfeeding. Pheniramine can cause sleepiness in adults, and it is possible that in higher doses, it may do the same for a nursing baby. If you suspect the baby has any symptoms (being more sleepy than usual, trouble feeding, trouble breathing, or limpness) contact the child’s healthcare provider. If you need to take an antihistamine regularly while breastfeeding, talk with your healthcare provider about which one would be best for you. Be sure to talk to your healthcare provider about all your breastfeeding questions.

If a man takes pheniramine, could it affect fertility or increase the chance of birth defects?

Studies have not been done to see if pheniramine could affect a man’s fertility (ability to get a woman pregnant) or increase the chance of birth defects. In general, exposures that men have are unlikely to increase risks to a pregnancy. For more information, please see the MotherToBaby fact sheet Paternal Exposures at https://mothertobaby.org/fact-sheets/paternal-exposures-pregnancy/.

Please click here for references.

This sheet is about exposure to copolymer 1 in pregnancy and while breastfeeding. This information is based on published research. It should not take the place of medical care and advice from your healthcare provider. 

What is copolymer 1?

Copolymer 1 (also known as Cop-1, glatiramer acetate, or glatiramer) is a disease modifying therapy (DMT) that has been used to treat relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The brand name is Copaxone®. For more information about multiple sclerosis, please see the MotherToBaby fact sheet at https://mothertobaby.org/fact-sheets/multiple-sclerosis/.  

Sometimes when people find out they are pregnant, they think about changing how they take their medication, or stopping their medication altogether. However, it is important to talk with your healthcare providers before making any changes to how you take this medication. Your healthcare providers can talk with you about the benefits of treating your condition and the risks of untreated illness during pregnancy. 

I take copolymer 1. Can it make it harder for me to get pregnant?

It is not known if copolymer 1 can make it harder to get pregnant. 

Does taking copolymer 1 increase the chance for miscarriage?  

Miscarriage is common and can occur in any pregnancy for many different reasons. Available information does not suggest that copolymer 1 increases the chance for miscarriage. 

Does taking copolymer 1 increase the chance of birth defects?

Birth defects can happen in any pregnancy for different reasons. Out of all babies born each year, about 3 out of 100 (3%) will have a birth defect. We look at research studies to try to understand if an exposure, like  

Copolymer 1, might increase the chance of birth defects in a pregnancy. 

Information from several studies (including 1 study looking at over 5,000 pregnancies exposed to copolymer 1) does not suggest an increased chance of birth defects above the background risk. Other studies have suggested possible increased chances of certain birth defects (heart defects, gastrointestinal tract defects, clubfoot, hip dysplasia, and limb abnormalities). However, these studies did not identify a specific pattern of birth defects. It is not known if these findings are due to the medication or other factors.  

Does taking copolymer 1 in pregnancy increase the chance of other pregnancy-related problems?

Copolymer 1 is not expected to increase the chance of other pregnancy-related problems, such as preterm delivery (birth before week 37) or low birth weight (weighing less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces [2500 grams] at birth).  

Does taking copolymer 1 in pregnancy affect future behavior or learning for the child?  

One study did not find differences in learning or motor development between children exposed during pregnancy to certain DMT medications (including copolymer 1) and those who were not exposed to these medications. 

Breastfeeding while taking copolymer 1: 

Copolymer 1 passes into breastmilk in small amounts. There are reports of children exposed to copolymer 1 through breast milk without side effects. One study followed 34 infants whose mothers took copolymer 1 during breastfeeding.  These babies were followed for the first 12 months of life.  No increase in adverse outcomes such as poor growth, delays in motor or language development or hospitalization were noted. Be sure to talk to your healthcare provider about all your breastfeeding questions.  

If a man takes copolymer 1, could it affect fertility (ability to get partner pregnant) or increase the chance of birth defects?

Studies have not been done to see if copolymer 1 could affect male fertility. Available studies found no significant or clear evidence of an increased chance of low birthweight, miscarriage, birth defects, or other pregnancy problems when a man takes copolymer 1 around the time of conception. In general, exposures that men have are unlikely to increase risks to a pregnancy. For more information, please see the MotherToBaby fact sheet Paternal Exposures at https://mothertobaby.org/fact-sheets/paternal-exposures-pregnancy/.  

Please click here for references.