Synthomycin is Chloramphenicol. According to Hale's book "safety in infants
is controversial. Milk levels are too low to produce overt toxicity in
infants...generally considered contraindicated in nursing mothers, although
occasionally used in infants...can be exremely toxic, particularly in
newborns, and should not be used for trivial infections."

This drug is also problematic in adults (may cause aplastic anemia). Can't
they use some other drug?

Mira Leibovich, MD

>Syntomycin is a drug I've never heard of and there is no such drug
>listed in the Canadian drug book.  Probably it is an aminoglycoside (by
>its name).  Aminoglycosides are *not* absorbed from the gi tract in any
>significant amounts.  Furthermore, we use aminoglycosides all the time
>in extremely premature babies.  Therefore there should never have been
>any question about whether the baby should breastfeed.  Of course he
>should.
>
>If there is a question about the use of this drug, why not use another
>drug which is definitely compatible with breastfeeding?
>
>If this is not an aminoglycoside, send generic name.
>
>Jack Newman, MD, FRCPC
>