Antibiotics and Pregnancy

:parents.com

2013/05/12

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Once that plus sign appears on your pregnancy test, you know your body is in for a lot of changes. But what you probably didn't know is that those changes can mean more infections -- and more antibiotics.

The most recent National Birth Defects Prevention Study of more than 13,000 pregnant women found that about 30 percent of women undergo at least one course of antibiotic treatment between the three months prior to conception and the end of their pregnancies, most commonly during the fourth month of pregnancy.

Select antibiotic use has the potential to cause congenital abnormalities in newborns. So do you take the antibiotic and get better, or skip it and risk birth defects? Don't worry -- according to the study, it's not that black-and-white and there are safe options available. Here, we provide tips on keeping both you and your baby healthy.

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