Tazarotene

Pregnancy

While there are no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women, animal studies showed that topical tazarotene can cause serious birth defects.

In animal reproduction studies with pregnant rats, the application of the maximal recommended human dose reduced fetal body weights and induced malformations in the fetal skeleton.

Studies with pregnant rabbits showed the potential of topical tazarotene to cause retinoid malformations in fetuses, such as spina bifida and heart anomalies at a dose 15 times higher than the recommended human dose.

Additionally, animal reproduction studies in rats and rabbits showed that oral administration of tazarotene during pregnancy can cause serious fetal malformations in doses 1 to 30 times higher than the recommended human dose.

Therefore, tazarotene should not be used during pregnancy. If a woman becomes pregnant while using tazarotene, the medicine must be stopped immediately, and she should see a gynecologist to discuss the risks to the baby.

>> More on How to Treat Acne During Pregnancy

Breastfeeding

It is not known whether tazarotene is excreted in human milk. Because many drugs are excreted in human milk, a woman and her doctor should decide whether to discontinue nursing before using tazarotene, taking into account the importance of the drug use to the mother.

Furthermore, do not apply tazarotene to the nipple area, and make sure the infant’s skin does not come into contact with the areas of skin that have been treated with tazarotene. Make sure to wash your hands after the application of tazarotene.