Pregnancy & Lactation : הריון/הנקה

4.6    Pregnancy and lactation

Pregnancy
During pregnancy, furosemide may only be administered on a short-term basis and if there are very compelling medical reasons, as furosemide crosses the placental barrier.
Diuretics are not suitable for routine therapy of hypertension and oedema during pregnancy, as they impair placental perfusion and hence intrauterine growth.
If furosemide administration is required to treat cardiac or renal insufficiency in a pregnant woman, electrolyte and haematocrit values and foetal growth must be closely monitored.
Displacement of bilirubin from the albumin binding and hence an increased risk of kernicterus in hyperbilirubinaemia is discussed for furosemide.
Furosemide crosses the placental barrier and in the cord blood the agent reaches 100 % of the maternal serum concentration. To date, no malformations associated with furosemide exposure have been reported in humans. There has been insufficient experience, however, to allow any final conclusions to be drawn about any potentially damaging effect on the embryo/foetus. In utero foetal urine production may be stimulated.
Following treatment of premature infants with furosemide, urolithiasis has been observed.

Lactation

Furosemide is excreted into the breast milk and inhibits lactation. Nursing mothers may therefore not be treated with furosemide. If necessary, the infant should be weaned (see section 4.3).