This sheet is about exposure to loratadine in pregnancy and while breastfeeding. This information is based on available published literature. It should not take the place of medical care and advice from your healthcare provider.

What is loratadine?

Loratadine is an over-the-counter antihistamine. It has been used to treat symptoms of allergic reactions and colds, such as sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes, itchy throat, and hives. Some brand names for loratadine are Claritin® and Alavert®. In the body, loratadine breaks down into another drug called desloratadine. Desloratadine is also sold as a prescription antihistamine under the brand name Clarinex®.

Sometimes when people find out they are pregnant, they think about changing how they take their medication, or stopping their medication altogether. However, it is important to talk with your healthcare providers before making any changes to how you take your medication. Your healthcare providers can talk with you about the benefits of treating your condition and the risks of untreated illness during pregnancy.

I take loratadine. Can it make it harder for me to get pregnant?

It is not known if loratadine can make it harder to get pregnant. One animal study did not report problems getting pregnant in females exposed to loratadine.

Does taking loratadine increase the chance of miscarriage?

Miscarriage is common and can occur in any pregnancy for many different reasons. A study of 161 people taking loratadine during the first trimester of pregnancy did not show an increased chance of miscarriage.

Does taking loratadine increase the chance of birth defects?

Every pregnancy starts out with a 3-5% chance of having a birth defect. This is called the background risk. Taking loratadine is not expected to increase the chance of birth defects above the background risk. One early study raised concern about a possible link between loratadine use in pregnancy and hypospadias (a birth defect where the opening of the penis is shifted toward the underside rather than the tip). However, after later studies did not find the same link, the researchers decided that the cases of hypospadias in their original study were most likely due to chance or other factors instead of exposure to loratadine.

Other studies of loratadine use during pregnancy have not found an increased chance of any kind of birth defect, including hypospadias. Also, studies have not found that infants with hypospadias were more often exposed to loratadine during pregnancy than infants without hypospadias.

Does taking loratadine in pregnancy increase the chance of other pregnancy-related problems?

Loratadine is not expected to increase the chance of pregnancy-related problems, such as preterm delivery (birth before week 37) or low birth weight (weighing less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces [2500 grams] at birth).

Does taking loratadine in pregnancy affect future behavior or learning for the child?

Studies have not been done to see if loratadine can cause behavior or learning issues for the child.

Breastfeeding while taking loratadine:

Loratadine gets into breast milk in small amounts. The amount of loratadine in breastmilk is too low to cause problems for most babies. Loratadine is one of the preferred antihistamines for use during breastfeeding because it is less likely to cause drowsiness (sleepiness) for the person who is breastfeeding or the baby than some other antihistamines. If you suspect the baby has any symptoms (such as being too sleepy), contact the child’s healthcare provider. Be sure to talk to your healthcare provider about all your breastfeeding questions.

If a male takes loratadine, could it affect fertility or increase the chance of birth defects?

Studies have not been done to see if loratadine could affect male fertility (ability to get partner pregnant) or increase the chance of birth defects above the background risk. In general, exposures that fathers or sperm donors have are unlikely to increase risks to a pregnancy. For more information, please see the MotherToBaby fact sheet Paternal Exposures at https://mothertobaby.org/fact-sheets/paternal-exposures-pregnancy/.

Selected References:

• Diav-Citrin et al. 2003. Pregnancy outcome after gestational exposure to loratadine or antihistamines: a prospective controlled cohort study. J Allergy Clin Immunol 111(6):1239-1243. [PubMed: 12789223]
• Gilboa SM, et al. 2009. National Birth Defects Prevention Study: Use of antihistamine medications during early pregnancy and isolated major malformations. Birth Defects Res A Clin Mol Teratol 85(2):137-150. [PMC free article: PMC3619228] [PubMed: 19161158]
• Gilboa SM, et al. 2014. Antihistamines and birth defects: a systematic review of the literature. Expert Opin Drug Saf 13(12): 1667-98. [PMC free article: PMC4474179] [PubMed: 25307228]
• Gonzalez-Estrada et al. 2016. Allergy medications during pregnancy. American J Med Sci 352(3):326-331. [PubMed: 27650241]
• Hilbert J, et al. 1988. Excretion of loratadine in human breast milk. J Clin Pharamacol 28:234-239. [PubMed: 2966185]
• Kallen, B. 2005. Methodologic issues in the epidemiologic study of the teratogenicity of drugs. Congenit Anom (Kyoto) 45: 44-51. [PubMed: 15904431]
• Kallen B, Otterblad Olausson P. 2001. Monitoring of maternal drug use and infant congenital malformations. Does loratadine cause hypospadias? Int J Risk Saf Med 14(3-4):115-119.
• Kallen B, Otterblad Olausson P. 2006. No increased risk of infant hypospadias after maternal use of loratadine in early pregnancy. Int M Med Sci 3(3):106-107. [PMC free article: PMC1475429] [PubMed: 16761079]
• Keles N. 2004. Treatment of allergic rhinitis during pregnancy. Am J Rhinol 18(1):23-28. [PubMed: 15035567]
• Li Q, et al. 2013. Assessment of antihistamine use in early pregnancy and birth defects. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 1(6):666-74.e1. [PMC free article: PMC4140658] [PubMed: 24565715]
• Med Lett Drugs Ther. 2019. OTC drugs for seasonal allergies; 61(1570):57-60. [PubMed: 31169808]
• Moretti M, et al. 2003. Fetal safety of loratadine use in the first trimester of pregnancy: A multicenter study. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 111(3) 479-83. [PubMed: 12642825]
• Pedersen L, et al. 2006b. Maternal use of loratadine during pregnancy and risk of hypospadias in offspring. Int J Med Sci 3(1) 21-25. [PMC free article: PMC1415837] [PubMed: 16575420]
• Schwarz EB et al. 2008. Risk of hypospadias in offspring of women using loratadine during pregnancy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Drug Saf 31(9):775-88. [PubMed: 18707192]
• Werler M, et al. 2004. Evaluation of an association between loratadine and hypospadias - United States, 1997-2001. MMWR 53(10):219-21. [PubMed: 15029117]

“OTIS/MotherToBaby encourages inclusive and person-centered language. While our name still contains a reference to mothers, we are updating our resources with more inclusive terms. Use of the term mother or maternal refers to a person who is pregnant. Use of the term father or paternal refers to a person who contributes sperm.