Can you take cefotaxime while breastfeeding?
What LactMed says
The National Library of Medicine’s own summary, quoted in full. We do not write a verdict of our own on this question, and we do not compress theirs into a label.
Cefotaxime is no longer marketed in the United States. Limited information indicates that cefotaxime produces low levels in milk that are not expected to cause adverse effects in breastfed infants. Occasionally disruption of the infant's gastrointestinal flora, resulting in diarrhea or thrush have been reported with cephalosporins, but these effects have not been adequately evaluated. Cefotaxime is acceptable in nursing mothers.
Quoted from Cefotaxime — Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed®), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, revised August 15, 2023.
How much cefotaxime gets into breastmilk
Maternal Levels. Five postpartum women were given 2 grams of cefotaxime twice daily for 4 days. The average peak milk level on day 4 was 0.68 mg/L (range 0.29 to1.57 mg/L). By 12 hours after the dose the drug was undetectable in milk of all 5 women.
After a single 1 gram dose of cefotaxime to 12 women, average peak levels of 0.32 mg/L occurred 2 hours after the dose. The highest milk level recorded was 0.52 mg/L in one woman at 3 hours after the dose.
After a single 1 gram dose of cefotaxime to 5 women, the drug was not measurable (<0.1 mg/L) in the mothers' milk at any time up to 6 hours after the dose.
After a single 1 gram intravenous dose in 2 women, cefotaxime milk levels were not measurable at any time up to 6 hours after the dose.
Infant Levels. Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
What has been seen in breastfed infants
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.
Frequently asked questions
Can you take cefotaxime while breastfeeding?
Cefotaxime is no longer marketed in the United States. The full record is quoted on this page, and the decision is one to make with the person who prescribed it — LactMed itself states it is not a substitute for professional judgement.
Does cefotaxime pass into breastmilk?
LactMed's measured drug levels for cefotaxime are quoted in full on this page, under "How much gets into breastmilk".
Do I need to pump and dump after taking cefotaxime?
LactMed does not frame its records that way — it reports measured drug levels in milk and what has been observed in breastfed infants, which is what this page quotes. "Pump and dump" advice for a specific drug and dose should come from your clinician or a pharmacist, not from a general rule.
More on cefotaxime
LactMed states that the information it presents is not a substitute for professional judgement, and that you should consult your healthcare provider for breastfeeding advice related to your particular situation. Nothing on this page is medical advice.