Telbivudine has been discontinued from the US market. It has not been studied in nursing mothers being treated for hepatitis B infection. An alternate drug may be preferred, especially while nursing a newborn or preterm infant.
No difference exist in infection rates between breast-fed and formula-fed infants born to hepatitis B-infected women, as long as the infant receives hepatitis B immune globulin and hepatitis B vaccine at birth. Mothers with hepatitis B are encouraged to breastfeed their infants after their infants receive these preventative measures.[1,2]