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After nine months of carrying a newborn and successfully bringing them into the world, women are faced with the option of breastfeeding or bottle feeding. As breastfeeding is a popular option many mothers take on, it does raise questions for women who want to return to their pre-pregnancy selves. Can you receive plastic surgery? Does Botox affect the health of your breast milk? These questions that stand are one’s that Haute Beauty experts Lauren Valentine, Allan Weidman, and Dr. Samuel Lin, MD, are here to answer.

As of right now, there is limited evidence regarding the safety of Botox while breastfeeding. Current research suggests that obtaining Botox injections while breastfeeding may be safe but is overall inconclusive given the scarcity of investigations into the topic. No clinical trials have been conducted to address this question, and therefore current scientific understanding of the topic is mostly speculative.

To summarize the information included in the Drug and Lactation database, no special precautions must be taken by breastfeeding mothers when obtaining Botox treatments. It states that the amount of toxin used in cosmetic procedures is much lower than the doses required to systematically cause adverse effects. Additionally, when using Botox intramuscularly, as is done in cosmetic procedures, no amounts of the toxin can be detected systematically. As a result, it is unlikely that Botox could then be transmitted to the baby through breast milk, especially at a high enough concentration to have any effect.

Due to the lack of research in the field, most healthcare professionals cautiously recommend that patients wait until they have finished breastfeeding before receiving cosmetic Botox injections. It is important to clearly inform patients of the data that exists surrounding this discussion. While there is evidence that Botox will likely not reach the infant through breastfeeding, no clinical trials have officially demonstrated this, and more research is necessary to reach a definitive conclusion.

References:

1. Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed) [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US); 2006-. Botulin A. [Updated 2020 Sep 21]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK501400/
2. Arnon SS, Damus K, Thompson B, et al. Protective role of human milk against sudden death from infant botulism. J Pediatr. 1982;100:568–73
3. Butler DC, Heller MM, Murase JE. Safety of dermatologic medications in pregnancy and lactation: Part II. Lactation. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2014;70:417.e1–10
4. Lee KC, Korgavkar K, Dufresne RG Jr, et al. Safety of cosmetic dermatologic procedures during pregnancy. Dermatol Surg. 2013;39:1573–86
5. Middaugh J. Botulism and breast milk. N Engl J Med. 1978;298:343