Breastfeeding and tacrolimus: is it a reasonable approach?

Successful pregnancy after transplantation has become more common and more recipients are choosing to breastfeed their infants, despite the controversy surrounding the safety of breastfeeding while the mother is taking immunosuppressive medications, such as tacrolimus. Data collected to date by the National Transplantation Pregnancy Registry have not revealed specific problems related to breastfeeding; however, individual circumstances must be considered when counseling transplant recipients regarding breastfeeding. Bramham et al. reported on a series of transplant recipients who were maintained on tacrolimus during pregnancy and lactation and concluded that women should not be discouraged from breastfeeding while on tacrolimus. Recently, other authors have also supported the option of breastfeeding while recipients are maintained on tacrolimus. Herein, we review the Bramham article and discuss the key issues to be considered regarding the compatibility of breastfeeding and immunosuppression.