Is It Possible to Get Breast Milk Tested for Trace Amounts of Botox?

We do not perform aesthetic service on pregnant moms to be or breastfeeding mom.  End of story.  There is not enough research to know definitively if the practice is safe.  There is no pressing health issue making it necessary to do the services.  It only makes sense to wait.  Now you are in the situation where you have had the service.  What should you do?  I do not believe that there is any evidence that this treatment will cause harm to your baby.  If you are uncomfortable, I suggest speaking with your pediatrician.  The safest course would be to immediately stop breastfeeding.  Should you do this?  This is a personal decision with very little evidence other than the knowledge that the dose you were given is very small and most likely primarily absorbed in the muscle tissue it was injected into.  Don't go back to this dermatologist.  This person lacks a moral compass.  

Hi Mom.  Sorry to hear about your situation.  We do not believe that your physician should have suggested this to you and would seriously consider searching out another practice.  Anyone that is going to suggest a breastfeeding mother have Botox injected is not scrupulous.  

With that said, there is no evidence to show Botox will or will not have an effect on your baby.  The reason credible practices will not offer it is that we just don't know and it's a silly risk to take.  The Botox should not affect your breast milk, but we doubt that any test you could find would give you the answer you are looking for.  We think it best to leave the issue alone and avoid any future injections while breastfeeding.

Because there haven't been any studies done on Botox and breastfeeding, the manufacturer of the drug Allergan Pharmaceuticals, recommends that Botox be used with caution in breastfeeding women. The effects Botox may have on an infant are unclear, but it is unlikely to pass through breast milk in amounts significant enough to cause problems since only a very small amount of it is injected into the targetted muscles or the face and the majority of that is taken up by the targetted muscles withing 2-4 hours of ingection and only an infintesimal amount of the drug reaches the bloodstream (which it must do in order to pass through breast milk).  You also stated that you were not making much milk and are likely bottle feeding your child and describe absolutely no signs or symptoms in your child suggestive of Botulinum toxicity. Although generally I do not suggest Botox or Dysport in immediate post-partum women who are breastfeeding, I do not see an appreciable risk in this situation. If you were being treated for torticollis or getting frequent injections of 200-300 units of Botox, then there is risk of some residual neuromodulator making it to the bloodstream and a small protion of that making it into the mild and that is still a theoretical risk. Given the amount with which you were likely treated, I see no real risk to the infant. Also, most make up including lipstick are used everyday by pregnant and breastfeeding women. Most of these cosmetics contain numerous preservatives and heavy metals as well as other dangerous toxins which are internalized through the skin and ingested everytime the individual licks their lips. There appears to be no concern about these cosmetics even though it clearly states on the lable that they are not for internal use or for children. After billions of doses of Botox injection around the world, there is no clinical evidence that would support any concern in this situation.