When it comes to personal health, most people want all the information they can get, whether it’s about medications, surgeries, ailments, or cosmetic treatments. This is especially true for women who have just had babies and are currently breastfeeding. Postpartum depression is a common issue, and doctors often prescribe antidepressants like Zoloft to help.
You might wonder if there’s any connection between Zoloft and breastfeeding. To find answers, we can turn to clinical studies and research that date back to the 1980s, when the topic of antidepressant safety for breastfeeding mothers first came up.
One of the longest studies on this topic was conducted by Katherine Wisner of the University of Pittsburgh Psychiatric Institute. Over two decades, her research found that only negligible amounts of Zoloft pass through breast milk to the baby. Dr. Thomas Hale also contributed to this field, reporting that Zoloft has the lowest transfer rate of all antidepressants. His study, involving 11 breastfeeding mothers, found that in seven cases, Zoloft was undetectable in the infants, and in the remaining four cases, the levels were minimal.
In 1995, the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry published a paper revealing that the levels of Zoloft in nursing babies were practically undetectable. Dr. Jack Newman, founder of the Breastfeeding Clinic at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children, also stated that even if Zoloft is present in breast milk, it’s rarely riskier than using formula.
If you’re a new mother concerned about the effects of Zoloft while breastfeeding, consider looking up various reliable sources online. You’ll find numerous case studies and personal stories from mothers who have successfully used Zoloft.