Note with antibiotics for pregnant women

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Pregnant women are relatively special subjects that need to be careful when using drugs, most notably antibiotics. So, is it possible to prescribe injectable or oral antibiotics during pregnancy and if so, what is the group of antibiotics used for pregnant women?

1.Antibiotics for pregnant women After being correctly identified as pregnant, a woman's body begins to have significant changes. One of them is the increased risk of infection. At that time, the most effective treatment is the use of antibiotics used for pregnant women.
A study on the prevention of birth defects of 13,000 women found that about 30% of pregnant women will undergo at least one course of antibiotics in the 3 month period before conception until the end of pregnancy and most commonly in the 4th month.
Infusion or oral antibiotics during pregnancy has the potential to cause congenital abnormalities in the newborn. So how is the relationship between antibiotic treatment to fight infections and the risk of birth defects? In fact, pregnant women should not be too worried, this is not a mandatory question to choose one answer because we have options for antibiotics for pregnant women that still ensure safety for the mother. and baby.
SEE ALSO: Is it okay to take antibiotics during pregnancy?
2. Infections and antibiotics for pregnant women Infections here include both viral and bacterial causes. If the cause of the disease is determined to be a virus, the patient should not arbitrarily use antibiotics for two reasons:
Antibiotics do not act on viruses; Overuse of antibiotics when infected with viruses leads to antibiotic-resistant bacteria, resulting in antibiotic resistance when needed.

The most common bacterial infections in pregnant women are urinary tract infections and group B strep infections. For these cases, infusion or oral antibiotics during pregnancy is the only specific treatment to help pregnant women recover from the disease.
In particular, some cases still need to be treated with antibiotics for pregnant women and accept the risks and risks that may occur to the fetus. This is explained by the fact that in some cases, not treating an infection can make the condition worse, endangering the health and even the life of both mother and fetus. Therefore, the benefits in this case will outweigh the risks when pregnant women are exposed to antibiotics.
3. Is it safe to take antibiotics during pregnancy? According to medical experts around the world, antibiotic is a scary term for pregnant women. Despite caution, antibiotics are still one of the effective treatments for infections. If you have a bacterial infection, your doctor will carefully select the antibiotic groups that are safe for pregnant women.
While many antibiotics have been shown to be safe to use during pregnancy, there are drugs that can cause serious fetal abnormalities.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released a list of products (including antibiotics) that are allowed to be used during pregnancy, this helps doctors and patients know the level of the safety of the drug during pregnancy.
This category is divided into classes, symbols include A, B, C, D and X. Drugs in group A have been shown to be safe to use in pregnant women, while drugs in group A have been shown to be safe to use in pregnant women. in group X have been reported to cause fetal harm and should not be used by pregnant women.
If you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant, please consult and discuss with your doctor about medications prescribed during pregnancy. Besides, patients can also find the necessary information of each drug through the drug instructions that come with the product.
Congenital malformations associated with the use of antibiotics for pregnant women in group X include brain malformations (including skull and brain malformations, which are fatal), bile duct defects, limb loss or deficiency, diaphragmatic hernia, eye malformations, congenital heart defects, and cleft palate.
The FDA approved product list must go through a large amount of high-quality data regarding any drug before determining which class it belongs to, especially antibiotics for pregnant women of group A. Besides, group B is still considered safe for pregnant women with a very typical example being Augmentin (Amoxicillin + clavulanic acid). This is an antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections such as sinusitis, pneumonia, and bronchitis. All of these diseases can harm an unborn baby if left untreated.
MORE: Can pregnant women with flu use antibiotics?

4. Which antibiotic group is safe for pregnant women? Penicillin is the most commonly used antibiotic during pregnancy, which has not been shown to be associated with an increased risk for about 30 different birth defects. However, ethics would not allow testing of the drug in pregnant women, so there are still many drugs that will not have adequate safety studies during pregnancy.
In fact, there can still be negative effects on the fetus associated with some antibiotics and group B drugs. Therefore, it is up to the clinician to decide to use the drug when he or she is pregnant. ensure that the benefits of treatment will outweigh all possible risks to the fetus and pregnancy.
Although many antibiotics such as penicillin have been used safely for decades, now the development of resistant strains of bacteria is forcing doctors to use more antibiotics at the same time. Therefore, the safety of antibiotics given to pregnant women will depend on many different factors, including the type of antibiotic, the timing of antibiotic use during pregnancy, the dose, and the duration of use.
In addition, just because an antibiotic is associated with an increased risk of birth defects does not mean that the use of the drug is certain because the incidence of abnormalities is still very small (eg, risk of birth defects). normal hypoplastic left heart syndrome is 1 in 4,200 babies born, the use of sulphonamide antibiotics such as Septrim and Bactrim during pregnancy will increase the chance of birth defects by 3 times, making the rate disease is about 1 in 100).
Some groups of antibiotics that are safe for pregnant women can include:
Amoxicillin; Ampicillin; Augmentin; Penicillin; Cephalexin; Clindamycin; Erythromycin. Some resistance groups are not safe for pregnant women:
Bactrim; Ciprofloxacin ; Doxycycline; Furadantin; Macrobid; Macrodantin; Minocycline; Tetracyclines.

5. Some notes to take antibiotics safely during pregnancy Regardless of how the doctor has decided to treat infections, pregnant women still need to discuss and consult about the types of antibiotics. antibiotics. Also, talk to your doctor about all medications you're taking to avoid drug interactions and make sure the doctor knows you're pregnant.
In addition, patients should inform their physician of any medical conditions or allergies and all previous medical history (including kidney disease, liver disease or mononucleosis ), as all All of the above factors will help doctors determine the safest antibiotic group for pregnant women. In addition, if any side effects occur or the infection does not improve, the patient should also notify the treating doctor immediately.
The use of antibiotics for pregnant women needs to be weighed against the benefits and risks. Therefore, before using any medicine, pregnant women should consult a doctor or a qualified pharmacist. In fact, currently, the overuse of antibiotics, the indiscriminate use of antibiotics has increased the risk of side effects and becoming antibiotic resistance. Therefore, to ensure safety, especially during pregnancy, pregnant women should choose to have regular antenatal check-ups at reputable and well-trained medical facilities to receive medical treatment and instructions on drug use. most effective antibiotics.
Vinmec International General Hospital is currently the address for examination, monitoring, diagnosis and birth of many families. With a team of experienced and well-trained specialists, modern facilities, and convenient medical services, many families' dreams of parenthood have been realized.
Especially, in the process of examining and monitoring pregnancy to detect medical risks that need to be treated, doctors at Vinmec will provide a treatment plan, at the same time give advice, guidance, and careful consideration. on risk factors, benefits for pregnant women, to ensure safety for mother and baby during pregnancy.

Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.

References: parents.com, mayoclinic.org