Safety of antihistamines during pregnancy and lactation.
OBJECTIVE
Many of my pregnant and breastfeeding patients suffer from allergies and frequently ask me about the safety of antihistamines during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Should I advise them to use the older sedating medications? I have heard that they might be safer than the newer nonsedating class of drugs. Or have the newer ones been studied as well?


CONCLUSIONS
First-generation antihistamines are considered safe to use during pregnancy. There are relatively fewer data on the nonsedating second-generation antihistamines; however, published studies are reassuring. All antihistamines are considered safe to use during breastfeeding, as minimal amounts are excreted in the breast milk and would not cause any adverse effects on a breastfeeding infant.
So
Miranda
M
Bozzo
Pina
P
Inoue
Miho
M
Einarson
Adrienne
A
D001942:Breast Feeding; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000187:drug effects; D006633:Histamine Antagonists / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007258:Informed Consent; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000188:drug therapy*
D006633:Histamine Antagonists
Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 1997 Feb;78(2):183-6
9048526
J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2003 Mar;111(3):479-83
12642825
J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2002 Mar;11(3):146-52
12380668
Drug Saf. 2008;31(9):775-88
18707192
Am J Perinatol. 1997 Mar;14(3):119-24
9259911
J Clin Pharmacol. 1988 Mar;28(3):234-9
2966185
Immunol Allergy Clin North Am. 2006 Feb;26(1):137-54
16443148
Obstet Gynecol. 2009 Feb;113(2 Pt 1):417-32
19155916
J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2003 Jun;111(6):1239-43
12789223
Clin Pharmacol Ther. 1995 Apr;57(4):398-402
7712667
Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1993 May;168(5):1393-9
8498418
Birth Defects Res A Clin Mol Teratol. 2009 Feb;85(2):137-50
19161158
Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1984 Dec;18(6):901-6
6529531
Drug Saf. 2005;28(8):707-19
16048356
Reprod Toxicol. 2008 Sep;26(1):19-23
18571373