Ventolin Use In Pregnancy & Lactation

Fertility: There is no information on the effects of salbutamol on human fertility. There were no adverse effects on fertility in animals (see Pharmacology: Toxicology: Preclinical Safety Data under Actions).
Pregnancy: Administration of drugs during pregnancy should only be considered if the expected benefit to the mother is greater than any possible risk to the foetus.
During worldwide marketing experience, rare cases of various congenital anomalies, including cleft palate and limb defects have been reported in the offspring of patients being treated with salbutamol. Some of the mothers were taking multiple medications during their pregnancies.
As no consistent pattern of defects can be discerned, and baseline rate for congenital anomalies is 2 to 3%, a relationship with salbutamol use cannot be established.
Syrup: As with the majority of drugs, there is little published evidence of its safety in the early stages of human pregnancy, but in animal studies there was evidence of some harmful effects on the foetus at very high dose levels.
Lactation: As salbutamol is probably secreted in breast milk its use in nursing mothers is not recommended unless the expected benefits outweigh any potential risk. It is not known whether salbutamol in breast milk has a harmful effect on the neonate.
Syrup: As salbutamol is probably secreted in breast milk its use in nursing mothers requires careful consideration.
It is not known whether salbutamol has a harmful effect on the neonate, and so its use should be restricted to situations where it is felt that the expected benefit to the mother is likely to outweigh any potential risk to the neonate.