Pregnant women are more vulnerable to bacterial infection because their immune systems are weakened. This helps them maintain their pregnancy but may also put them at greater risk of bacterial infection. And once infected, it can grow more severe among pregnant women than among non-pregnant women. Complications from these infections can harm the developing fetus. So, treating these infections is critical.
A study this month from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds that most common antibiotics — penicillins — appear to be safe. But the study raises a red flag with two types of antibiotics, sulfa drugs (brand names include Bactrim and Thiosulfil Forte) and urinary germicides (brand names Macrobid and Furadantin). These medications are typically used to treat urinary tract infections. In the study, women who had children with birth defects — such as heart problems, hernias or cleft palate — were more likely to have taken these medications.
Dr. Brian Mercer, who heads obstetrics at Cleveland's Metro Health Medical Center, says this is particularly important during the first trimester, because that's when a fetus' organs are actually developing and are therefore at greatest risk from agents that may cause birth defects. "It's the time when a heart becomes a heart and lungs become lungs," Mercer says. "After that time, much of the pregnancy is taken up with further development of the organs that are already formed." NPR
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