As your baby grows, you become more prone to illness due to weak immune system during pregnancy. Pregnancy can cause remarkable hormonal, metabolic, and immunological changes to support the baby’s growth. You may be surprised that pregnancy also spurs dramatic changes in your gut bacterial composition. That can lead to bacterial infection during pregnancy. Antibiotics are usually used to treat bacterial infections. Here is the question can I use antibiotics while pregnant. Pregnant women should confirm whether it is safe or not before taking any medication.
What bacterial infection attack during pregnancy?
Your body is the house to various microorganisms, containing more than 100 trillion bacteria; massive amounts reside in your gut others can be found in the mouth, airways, skin, and vagina. Pregnancy also affects their composition. For instance, your vaginal composition in pregnancy differs from that when you are non-peragnant. Additionally, your immune system also weakens; these combined factors make you more vulnerable to diseases. You may go through bacterial infections like Urinary Tract Infection, upper-respiratory infection, and group B streptococcus during pregnancy. Their treatments only rely on antibiotics. Antibiotics can also be used for;
- Skin infections
- Sinus infection
- Acne treatment
- Pneumonia
- Kidney functions
- Preterm labor
- Gallbladder disease
- Appendicitis
Are Antibiotics a safe option during pregnancy?
Before we get into antibiotics lets talk about a crucial supplement called L-methylfolate which is highly recommended by doctors before and after pregnancy. Taking L-methylfolate before and after pregnancy is absolutely critical for women in general and especially for women who have the MTHFR gene defect. However, most women don’t know the best time of the day to take methylfolate. According to the a methylfolate supplement blog, the best time of the day to take methylfolate is morning and lunch time. Taking methylfolate during this time can really help women get the best out of their supplement.
Many antibiotics are recognized as safe during pregnancy, while others may cause Birth defects. Their use is compulsory because there’s no second option to treat some particular infections. The FDA approved a list in which antibiotics are grouped in different categories according to their safety order during pregnancy. These categories are;
- Category A & B: These medications are safe and can be used in pregnancy.
- Category C: These medications are safe but have side effects; thus, they are only used if no other option can work.
- Category D: These medications can lead to serious health issues. Only taken when the risk of untreated disease is more than the child exposed to the antibiotics.
- Category X: These medications can cause potential threats; never use under any circumstances during pregnancy.
Pregnancy safe Antibiotics
Antibiotics grouped in categories A and B are considered completely safe and can be used in expecting females. Pregnancy-safe antibiotics are;
- Penicillin’s; is a broad class of antibiotics (amoxicillin and augmentation) used against bacterial infection.
- Vancomycin; is used in labor to treat group B streptococcus infection
- Clindamycin; used to treat the bacterial infection
- Ampicillin; is also used during labor against streptococcus infection
- Cephalosporin; Used against bacterial infection
- Ceftriaxone (Rocephin); used to treat gonorrhea
- Macrobid; used for Urinary Tract Infections
- Metronidazole and Metrogel; used to treat bacterial vaginosis
Pregnancy unsafe Antibiotics
Some antibiotics are unsafe; you should avoid them during pregnancy. These are;
- Tetracycline
- Streptomycin
- Fluoroquinolones (ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin)
- Bactrim
- Doxycycline
- Macrodantin
- Furadantin
- Minocycline
Every pregnancy is unique; communicate with your doctor and clear your doubt regarding the use of antibiotics. If you are already using medication or are a victim of any disease consult your doctor. So that according to your condition, your doctor may decide the course of action.
Conclusion
Many antibiotics are completely safe and effective for treating upper-respiratory infection, urinary tract infection (UTI), or group beta streptococcus and other bacterial infections. Antibiotics are classified into different categories according to their safety. Some medications may cause problems in your baby. In this condition, you should visit your healthcare provider, who will guide you better.
Reference
https://www.verywellfamily.com/can-i-take-antibiotics-while-pregnant-5203921
