Cetirizine (Reactine®)

Last Update: 20 Jun 2025

Medication

Table of content

1. What is it? 2. What are the risks according to research? 3. Breastfeeding/ chestfeeding 4. What about fathers and sperm donors? 5. Key points

Welcome to our fact sheet on cetirizine during pregnancy and breastfeeding or chestfeeding. This information is based on available published literature. It should not take the place of medical care and advice from your healthcare provider.

The HEALTHY PREGNANCY HUB team is collaborating with MotherToBaby to share information on this topic. The original version is available here (October 2024).

Serene, our chatbot, can also answer your questions about medications during pregnancy.

Please note that this fact sheet is based on United States information and has been adapted for Canada, with a review by our Canadian experts. Minor differences may exist between the two countries. Always consult your healthcare professional for information tailored to your situation.

1. What is cetirizine?

Cetirizine is an antihistamine. Antihistamines are medications that have been used to treat symptoms of allergies, like sneezing, itching, runny nose, and watery eyes. Cetirizine is sold over the counter under brand names including Zyrtec®, Aller-Tec® and Reactine®.

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.

2. What does research say about the risks during pregnancy?

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

It is not known if cetirizine can make it harder to get pregnant.

Does taking cetirizine increase the chance of miscarriage?

Miscarriage is common and can occur in any pregnancy for many different reasons. Several small studies done on the use of cetirizine during pregnancy did not find a higher chance of miscarriage.

Does taking cetirizine increase the chance of birth defects?

Birth defects can happen in any pregnancy for different reasons. Out of all babies born each year, about 3 out of 100 (3%) will have a birth defect. We look at research studies to try to understand if an exposure, like cetirizine, might increase the chance of birth defects in a pregnancy. Studies involving over 1,300 pregnancies exposed to cetirizine did not show an increased chance of birth defects.

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

Studies on a small number of pregnancies did not find a higher 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 cetirizine in pregnancy affect future behavior or learning for the child?

Studies have not been done to see if cetirizine can increase the chance of behavior or learning issues for the child.

3. Breastfeeding/ chestfeeding while taking cetirizine

Cetirizine gets into human milk in small amounts. Most reports show no problems for babies who are exposed to cetirizine through human milk. Compared to some other antihistamines, cetirizine is thought to have a lower chance of causing drowsiness for the person breastfeeding or chestfeeding and the nursing baby. For this reason, cetirizine may be preferred for breastfeeding or chestfeeding over other antihistamines that cause sleepiness. With repeated use, babies can be checked for signs of being too sleepy (hard to wake up). If you suspect the baby has any symptoms, contact the child’s healthcare provider.

It has been suggested that use of an antihistamine might lower the amount of human milk made by a person’s body, but this has not been proven.

A product label for cetirizine recommends breastfeeding or chestfeeding persons not use this medication. But the benefit of using cetirizine might outweigh possible risks. Your healthcare providers can talk with you about using cetirizine and what treatment is best for you. Be sure to talk to your healthcare provider about all your breastfeeding or chestfeeding questions.

4. What about fathers and sperm donors?

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

One report suggested that long-term use of antihistamines like cetirizine might lower sperm counts. Low sperm counts might lower a male’s fertility (ability to get a partner pregnant). 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 here.

Key points

Cetirizine (Zyrtec®, Reactine®) is an antihistamine used to treat allergy symptoms such as sneezing, itching, runny nose, and watery eyes.
Available studies do not show an increased risk of miscarriage, birth defects, preterm birth, or low birth weight when cetirizine is taken during pregnancy.
There is not enough information to know whether it affects a child’s future behavior or learning.
Cetirizine passes into human milk in small amounts. Most reports show no problems in nursing babies, and it is less likely to cause drowsiness than other antihistamines.
Always consult your healthcare professional before starting or making any changes in your allergy treatment during pregnancy or breastfeeding/ chestfeeding.

References

Please click here for references.

Disclaimer

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While consulting symptoms or other medical information on our platform may guide your discussions with your healthcare professional, this information should not be used to make a medical diagnosis or determine treatment. Before making changes to your supplement or medication regimen, please discuss with your medical team or contact 811 (Canada) to ensure the relevance of these changes to your individual situation.

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