Our Helplines

1-877-327-4636 Alcohol and Substance
1-800-436-8477 Morning Sickness
1-888-246-5840 HIV and HIV Treatment
1-877-439-2744 Motherisk Helpline
416-813-6780 Motherisk Helpline

Pregnancy & Breastfeeding Resources

Events
News
Current Studies

Sept.

5

2013

St. John's,NL
2013 FACE meeting

June

23

2013

Orlando, Florida
Fetal Alcohol Canadian Expertise (FACE) Satellite Meeting .

Jul

19

2012

Motherisk establishes first class in Ontario for students with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
Mar

29

2012

Gideon Koren receives lifetime achievement award
Jul

28

2011

New research questions automatic removal of children living in grow ops
Jan

27

2011

Clarins and Shoppers Drug Mart team up for Kiss for Life fundraising campaign
Read more in our News Archive

Current Studies at Motherisk

For more information please visit our Current Studies section.

The Cancer in Pregnancy Forum

Archived Questions and Answers
This Forum has been the centre of an exceptional exchange of knowledge diagnosis, treatment, symptoms and other effects of cancer during pregnancy and lactation. All are welcome to review the Questions and Answers posted here, provided that they acknowledge and accept the important proviso and disclaimer below.

Submit a question

Forum > Cancer - Active Topics: Cancer - Active Topics

Methotrexate and breastfeeding

CCoPE
Date: 2009-06-22

Question:
Ectopic pregnancies are treated with Methotrexate 50 mg/m2 IM. We have a case where the patient who received this dose was breastfeeding an infant. How long should a patient wait before being allowed to resume breastfeeding after this single dose of IM Methotrexate?

Answer:
The half life for Methotrexate is 8-15 hours. For breastfeeding, the general advice is that if less than 10% of the maternal weight adjusted dose passes into the milk, the medication is considered compatible for breastfeeding. With Methotrexate the relative infant dose indicated is 0.12% of the maternal dose, which is extremely negligible. However Methotrexate can be retained in human tissue particularly neonatal GI tissue and ovarian cells for months. With chronic exposure therefore the potential for hazard for the infant may increase as the dose accumulates in his/her body. It is advisable for the milk to be pumped and discarded for a minimum of four days before resuming breastfeeding.

PREGNANCY & BREASTFEEDING

ABOUT MOTHERISK

1-877-327-4636 Alcohol and Substance
1-800-436-8477 Morning Sickness
1-888-246-5840 HIV and HIV Treatment
1-877-439-2744 Motherisk Helpline
416-813-6780 Motherisk Helpline

Motherisk counselors talk to hundreds of women and their healthcare providers each day providing guidance, support and peace of mind. So if you don't find the information you are looking for on this website, try calling one of our Helplines. Motherisk counselors are available Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST.

Motherisk is proud to be affiliated with OTIS, The Organization of Teratology Information Specialists. OTIS is a network of information services across North America.

OTHER MOTHERISK RESOURCES

* - "MOTHERISK - Treating the mother - Protecting the unborn" is an official mark of The Hospital for Sick Children. All rights reserved.

The information on this website is not intended as a substitute for the advice and care of your doctor or other health-care provider. Always consult your doctor if you have any questions about exposures during pregnancy and before you take any medications.

Copyright © 1999-2013 The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids). All rights reserved.

The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) is a health-care, teaching and research centre dedicated exclusively to children; affiliated with the University of Toronto. For general inquires please call: 416-813-1500.

| Contact SickKids | Terms of Use