Is Saccharin safe during pregnancy?
Sources disagree: FDA considers it safe, but some reviews advise against it in pregnancy. Ask your clinician; other sweeteners have more support.
What the sources say
FDA says more than 30 human studies showed earlier rat bladder-cancer findings don't apply to people and that saccharin is safe for human consumption. A peer-reviewed review on pregnancy, however, lists saccharin as "not recommended" because animal studies show it crosses the placenta and clears slowly from fetal tissue. Because sources conflict, ask your clinician. While breastfeeding, saccharin has been detected in milk at levels far below the acceptable daily intake.
Common alternatives
Also listed as
sweet'n low, sweet n low, sweet and low, sweet twin, necta sweet, sodium saccharin, calcium saccharin, e954
Sources
- FDA: Aspartame and Other Sweeteners in Food
- NIH/PubMed (peer-reviewed review): Non-caloric sweeteners in pregnancy and lactation (Cavagnari, 2020)
Last reviewed . This is general information, not medical advice. Ask your doctor or midwife about your own situation.