Allergic Toddler

[OCMimi]

Hello,

I am currently nursing my 14 month old son, and we are not yet ready to wean. He has had allergic reactions when taking Amoxicillin (hives) and Azithromycin (itchy rash) for ear infections. Today I was diagnosed with Strep Throat and given the option of taking either amoxicillin or azithromycin. I chose azithro, which I will start after our bedtime nursing session tonight.

Is my only safe option to pump and dump and hope he will go back to nursing after 10 days? How likely is it that the small amount of antibiotic that will pass into my breastmilk will cause an allergic reaction in my son? How likely is it that he could suffer a more severe reaction? Any studies out there?

Thank you very much,
Mary

[admin]

OCMimi:

I would certainly not suggest you use amoxicillin, and I'm not too comfortable with Azithromycin. Azithro would probably be the safer of these two combinations, as both of them enter milk to a modest degree. But it only takes a modest amount to have an allergic response.

You don't have many alternatives. Maybe Keflex, or one of the cephalosporins, but even here the infant would have a small (about 15%) risk of reacting to a cephalosporin.

So I'd suggest you call your doctor and ask for other suggestions.

Tom Hale PH.D.