Cerazette Use In Pregnancy & Lactation

Animal studies have shown that very high doses of progestogenic substances may cause masculinisation of female foetuses.
Extensive epidemiological studies have revealed neither an increased risk of birth defects in children born to women who used OCs prior to pregnancy, nor a teratogenic effect when OCs were taken inadvertently during early pregnancy. Pharmacovigilance data collected with various desogestrel-containing combined OCs also do not indicate an increased risk.
Cerazette does not influence the production or the quality (protein, lactose, or fat concentrations) of breast milk. However, a small amounts of etonogestrel are excreted in the breast milk. As a result, 0.01 - 0.05 microgram etonogestrel per kg body weight per day may be ingested by the child (based on an estimated milk ingestion of 150 ml/kg/day).
Limited long-term follow-up data are available on children, whose mothers started using Cerazette during the 4^th to 8^th week post-partum. They were breast-fed for 7 months and followed up to 1.5 years (n=32) or to 2.5 years (n=14) of age.
Evaluation of growth and physical and psychomotor development did not indicate any differences in comparison to nursing infants, whose mother used copper-IUD. Based on the available data Cerazette may be used during lactation. The development and growth of a nursing infant, whose mother uses Cerazette, should, however, be carefully observed.