Anionic surfactant that acts as an emollient laxative. It is also used to treat the retention of ear cerumen. It is minimally absorbed in the duodenum-jejunum and excreted in the bile. No problems have been observed in infants whose mothers were treated, except one case of diarrhea that was possibly due to other laxative medication took by the mother (Greenhalf 1973). The Institute at the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) consideres it to be compatible while breastfeeding (Mahadevan 2006).