Gadopentetate dimeglumine excretion into human breast milk during lactation.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the amount of gadopentetate dimeglumine excreted into human breast milk following intravenous injection of a clinical dose.


METHODS
Gadopentetate dimeglumine was injected intravenously in 20 lactating women (23-38 years of age). Breast-feeding was interrupted for at least 24 hours. Serial samples of expressed milk were collected and analyzed for gadolinium concentration by means of inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry at a wavelength of 342.247 nm.


RESULTS
The cumulative amount of gadolinium excreted in human breast milk during 24 hours was 0.57 micromol +/- 0.71 (SD; range, 0.05-3.0 micromol). The excreted dose was thus less than 0.04% of the administered intravenous dose (range, 0.001%-0.04%; mean, 0.009% +/- 0.010) for all cases.


CONCLUSIONS
Less than 0.04% of administered gadopentetate dimeglumine is excreted into human breast milk. The amount transferred to a nursing infant orally would be far more than 100 times less than the permitted intravenous dose (200 micromol per kilogram of body weight) for neonates. The recommendation of a 24-hour suspension of breast-feeding for lactating women should thus be reconsidered.
Department of Radiology, University Hospital Zurich, Römistrasse 100, CH-8091 Zurich, Switzerland. rahel.kubik@dmr.usz.ch
R A
RA
Kubik-Huch
N M
NM
Gottstein-Aalame
T
T
Frenzel
B
B
Seifert
E
E
Puchert
S
S
Wittek
J F
JF
Debatin
D000328:Adult; D001835:Body Weight; D001942:Breast Feeding; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007774:Lactation; D016014:Linear Models; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D013053:Spectrophotometry
D003287:Contrast Media; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA