Q 2-19.
Is Minoxidil Safe for a Breastfed Baby?
A 2-19.
For the safety of a neonate, a mother should definitely avoid minoxidil tablets during lactation. Some amount of minoxidil will be excreted into breast milk, which may possibly cause unfavorable side effects in a baby.
Topical minoxidil may be safer than oral minoxidil for a mother during lactation, because adverse effects of topical minoxidil is much less than that of oral tablets. However, a small amount of minoxidil may be excreted in breast milk.
Minoxidil might cause some side effects in a baby in a rare case. Safety of minoxidil is not guaranteed in a newborn baby.
Drug metabolism and detoxification in the liver is incomplete in a neonate. Endurance and susceptibility to a drug in a neonate is different from those in an adult.
The author holds an opinion that it will be safer for a mother to stop topical minoxidil during lactation in order to prevent unfavorable effects on a neonate.
A mother can resume topical minoxidil after weaning a baby from the breast.
