Pregnancy, breastfeeding and fertility while using coal tar - Brand names: Alphosyl, Exorex, Neutrogena, Polytar, Psoriderm

Coal tar and pregnancy

Coal tar products are sometimes used in pregnancy. There is no evidence that they cause harm to the baby.

However, only use coal tar products after talking to your doctor or pharmacist. They may recommend other treatments that may be more suitable during pregnancy.

Coal tar and breastfeeding

If your doctor says you need to, you can use coal tar products while you're breastfeeding. It is not known how much passes into breast milk, but it's likely to be a tiny amount.

Use it on as small an area as possible and take care that your baby does not touch any areas of your body where you've used a coal tar product.

If you're using coal tar on your chest, avoid putting it on your nipples. If you put it on your breasts, wash it off, then wash your hands before feeding your baby.

It's usually better to use cream rather than ointment when breastfeeding as it's easier to wash off.

Coal tar and fertility

There's no evidence to suggest that using coal tar reduces fertility in either men or women.