Some antibiotics increase the risk of serious birth defects

Expectant mothers should be careful with the use of antibiotics
In general, the use of medication during pregnancy should be handled with care. For example, some time ago, researchers found that taking antidepressants during pregnancy may increase the risk of autism in children. Experts now warn that taking certain antibiotics during pregnancy increases the risk of having serious birth defects in newborns.

Researchers at the University of Montreal found in their study that taking some antibiotics in expectant mothers makes their children at risk for serious birth defects. The physicians published the results of their study in the journal "British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology".

Certain antibiotics should never be taken by women during pregnancy. These medications can cause serious birth defects in the newborn. (Image: nenetus / fotolia.com)

These antibiotics can cause malformations in newborns
Antibiotics such as clindamycin, doxycycline, quinolones, macrolides and phenoxymethylpenicillin have been implicated in organ-specific malformations, the experts explain. Although the absolute risks of birth defects were relatively low, physicians should consider prescribing other antibiotics to treat patients with infections during pregnancy. Such infections during pregnancy are common and should be treated, says author Anick Berard of the University of Montreal.

These antibiotics do not seem to trigger birth defects
The results of the current study also showed that amoxicillin, cephalosporins and nitrofurantoin were not associated with birth defects. If possible, pregnant women should therefore resort to these medicines. Thus, dangerous birth defects can be reduced by taking antibiotics during pregnancy, explain the experts.

There are effective options for treatment
The physicians also investigated some options for treating infections. These included, in particular, urinary tract infections or so-called pulmonary infections. There are indeed effective options for treating these disorders, especially during the first trimester of pregnancy, the researchers say. In their study, the experts analyzed data from more than 1,339,938 live births in Quebec, Canada, between 1998 and 2008.

Pregnant women should be educated about risks
Expectant mothers should be advised by their doctor about the risks to the unborn child when using antibiotics. Only in this way can serious birth defects be avoided and the health and life of the newborn protected, the experts emphasize. (As)