Taking antibiotics in the first weeks of pregnancy. Antibiotics allowed during pregnancy. Is it possible to drink alcohol, take antibiotics, or smoke while taking oral contraceptives?

One can understand the reason for the concern of those women who are forced to take antibiotics in the early stages of pregnancy. After all, the use of potent drugs is always accompanied by some risk for the baby. You are allowed to take antibiotics only after approval by your attending physician. By adhering to the established dosage and duration of the course, a negative effect on the fetus is excluded.

Taking medications before the delay occurs

Ideally, a young couple dreaming of adding to their family cures existing ailments long before the process of conception. Antibiotics before pregnancy change the balance of the patient’s internal microorganisms, so she needs some time for recovery. Often, after antibiotics, a patient experiences a decrease in immunity. It is good if fertilization of the egg occurs 2-3 months after complete recovery.

Many people doubt whether it is possible to get pregnant after long-term treatment. The answer is, of course, positive, because therapy is aimed exclusively at destroying pathogenic microbes.

There is also no need to cause panic if, while taking medications, a woman did not know about her interesting situation. Obvious signs of pregnancy before the delay are not visible in every representative of the fairer sex. The girls lead a normal lifestyle, which includes taking medications.

There are many examples when a woman became pregnant during treatment. Antibacterial therapy, during which pregnant women use approved drugs, has a low probability of harming the embryo. As a rule, pregnancy after taking antibiotics proceeds as usual.

If, against the background of the absence of menstrual days, the girl took antibiotics, and the latter were from a series of prohibited ones, rejection of the fertilized egg may occur. The consequences of taking antibiotics of this group are known - cessation of fetal development and miscarriage.

What a woman should do when confirming her pregnancy

Remove thoughts of a sad outcome from your head. A woman’s decision to terminate her pregnancy in the early stages would be a completely reckless act.

In the first days of delay, consult a gynecologist. Monitoring of the expectant mother and child should be carried out by an experienced specialist.

• The course of antibiotic treatment should be suspended. If there is a need to continue treatment, medications should be replaced with safer ones;
• Taking antibiotics in the early stages of pregnancy will force the expectant mother to regularly take control tests. The most important of them is the test for hCG hormone. The absence of hCG growth dynamics in the early stages indicates a frozen pregnancy. To verify or refute this phenomenon, blood is donated several times. A repeat analysis is carried out a day after the previous one;
• In order to exclude the negative consequences of taking antibiotics in the early stages of pregnancy, it is possible to use ultrasound diagnostics. A fertilized egg, the growth and development of which will correspond to the week of pregnancy, will dispel dangerous doubts.

Constant anxiety and excessive nervousness can have an impact on pregnancy. In such a wonderful period for you, think only about the positive aspects. If the test results show good numbers and the embryo is strong enough, it will definitely survive and develop into a healthy little person.

Diseases for which it is difficult to treat without the use of antibacterial therapy

Antibiotics during early pregnancy are prescribed by the attending physician or gynecologist. The age and weight of the patient, the specifics of the disease and the general condition of the pregnant woman - all factors are taken into account by the specialist when choosing an effective medicine.
After a woman takes the prescribed drug, complete destruction of the infectious agents should follow. If there is no long-awaited recovery, a second course of antibiotic therapy is prescribed. When taking new drugs, the risk of complications in the baby increases. Therefore, it is important that the patient takes antibiotics once.
The use of antibiotics at the beginning of pregnancy is not justified if the disease can be eradicated in a more gentle way. “Grandma’s” and folk recipes can be followed only for mild forms of illness. The expectant mother has no room for error!

Indications for the use of antibiotics

A woman should forget about looking for alternative treatments and start using antibiotics already in the first week of pregnancy, if there are serious indications for this.

Among them:

• Pyelonephritis;
• Sinusitis;
• Bronchitis, tonsillitis, pneumonia;
• Cystitis;
• Purulent wounds and burns of 2-4 degrees;
• Gastrointestinal tract infections;
• Specific infectious diseases carried by animals and insects: brucellosis, Lyme disease, etc.

It is necessary to fight illnesses on time, otherwise the consequences of inaction can be much more serious. Pregnancy and taking antibiotics in its early stages are in some cases compatible concepts; foci of infections that pose a threat to mother and child must be eliminated.

Approved antibacterial drugs

At any stage of pregnancy, only drugs from the approved series can be taken. It is worth considering that if the dosage schedule is distorted and the dosage is exceeded, they can also affect the process of bearing a child.
If possible, delay taking any medications during the first weeks of pregnancy. Using them in the 1st trimester, you interfere with the process of laying the internal organs of the embryo. The likelihood of the drug penetrating inside a small organism is high.

List of the safest antibiotics

If you are forced to take strong antibiotics during pregnancy, try to work with your doctor to select medications from the following list:

• Penicillins. Penicillin drugs are the most commonly prescribed. Side effects, if observed, are only in the form of allergic reactions. During treatment they are able to penetrate the placental barrier, but have no effect on the fetus. Pregnant patients are also treated with penicillin derivatives. The most popular are Amoxicillin, Amoxiclav, Oxacillin, etc.;
• Cephalosporins. Prescribed only if the patient is intolerant to penicillins. They are eliminated from the body in a short time. Compared to the penicillin series, they have a wider range of action. And yet, in early pregnancy their use is undesirable. Women take medications in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters;
• Azithromycin. Antibiotics may be prescribed in the first weeks if the expectant mother has infections in the genitals. The medicine penetrates the placenta, but its concentration is not enough to damage the fetus.

Antibiotics affect breast milk. If a pregnant woman was treated with azithromycin at the end of the third trimester, the medicine will pass into the milk, and then during feeding into the baby’s body. Therefore, 2 months before the expected birth, they should be abandoned;

• Macrolides. When taking antibiotics, a very low concentration of active components enters the baby's circulatory system. There is no connection between the appearance of abnormalities in the development of a child and the use of drugs of the macrolide class. Spiramycin, Erythromycin and Josamycin are the main representatives of the group.

If a girl takes the medicine, following all the rules for taking it, negative consequences will be avoided.

Medicines prohibited for pregnant women

It has been proven that maternal use of certain types of medications causes congenital pathologies in the child. A patient who knew about pregnancy, but took a full course of prohibited pills, increases the likelihood of defects in the baby.

Possible complications:

• Kidney pathology;
• Heart disease;
• Damage to the liver and bones;
• Deafness, etc.

In addition, a woman who takes antibiotics in the first days of pregnancy can negatively affect the development of bone marrow in the baby.

Before using any product, the latter should be carefully studied. It is necessary to thoroughly read the instructions for the medicine, paying special attention to the lines where contraindications and side effects are indicated.

Pregnant women should never take medications:

• Gentamicin;
• Tetracycline and its analogues;
• Levomycytin;
• Dioxidine;
• Nitroxoline, Furadonin;
• Biseptol, Trixazole;
• Ciprofloxacin, Ofloxacin, etc.

If a drug from the listed list was used, and the girl only later found out that she was pregnant, the decision to continue the pregnancy remains with her. Interruption is permissible only after appropriate analyzes have been carried out. Research results may disprove the presence of abnormalities in a child.

It is very important to plan for the arrival of your baby. All infections must be eliminated before conception. The latter tend to worsen at the very beginning of a woman’s pregnancy. The use of antibiotics in early pregnancy can have consequences. What they are, the mother finds out only after the birth of the baby.

Treatment with antibiotics during pregnancy is prohibited, but there are diseases that cannot be cured in any other way. In this case, the doctor assesses the risks, and if the risk from the disease is higher than from taking antibiotics, appropriate medications are prescribed. Their choice is taken very seriously, and there is even a list of drugs acceptable during pregnancy.

Features of the choice of antibiotics during pregnancy

Antibiotics are medications that are prescribed to treat many infectious diseases and inflammations. Initially, antibiotics were drugs of natural origin - based on mold fungi (penicillium).

Over time, penicillin was modified many times, drugs based on it appeared, but all of them were aimed at suppressing pathogens. Today, there are antibiotics not only of natural origin, but also semi-synthetic and completely synthetic drugs.

When it comes to eliminating infections and inflammations in the body of a pregnant woman, the following features are taken into account:

• Can the active substance cross the placenta?
• Does the drug have a teratogenic effect (does it cause birth defects or increase the likelihood of miscarriage);
• Can the drug affect the course of pregnancy;
• Does the medication affect the woman’s reproductive system, the birth process and the organs of the expectant mother.

If it is necessary to urgently make a decision regarding the treatment of a pregnant woman, the doctor uses certain rules:

1. Drugs whose toxicity has been proven by scientific research are prohibited.
2. Drugs whose effects have not been fully studied are allowed to be prescribed in extreme cases.
3. If studies have proven the safety of the drug for the fetus and the expectant mother, its use is permitted in case of ineffectiveness of alternative treatment methods.

Antibiotics during pregnancy are prescribed only after a special test for the sensitivity of bacteria to them. If testing is difficult or impossible, it is recommended to take broad-spectrum medications.

Are antibiotics dangerous for the fetus?

There are no antibiotics that are completely safe for the fetus. There are three groups of antibiotics in relation to the baby:

1. Relatively safe;
2. Dangerous throughout pregnancy;
3. Dangerous only in early pregnancy.

Relatively safe antibiotics are precisely the group that harms the fetus less than the infectious agent or inflammatory process against which the fight is directed. For example, some antibiotics can negatively affect the condition of the fetus’s teeth, vision and hearing, and acute pyelonephritis can provoke premature birth. In this case, the doctor is forced to make a choice in favor of antibiotics, since the possible harm from the disease is greater than from taking the drugs.

Generally speaking, antibiotics are still unsafe for the fetus, and they are only allowed to be used as prescribed by a doctor.

Indications and features of antibiotics during pregnancy:

- first trimester

The first trimester is the most dangerous for both mother and baby. It is in the early stages that the influence of negative factors must be eliminated as much as possible, since at this time the formation of the child’s main organs and systems occurs. In addition, the fetus is not protected by the placenta.

In the first trimester, taking antibiotics is allowed only in extreme cases, when there is a threat to the life and health of the mother and baby or termination of pregnancy. The period from the 3rd to the 6th weeks of pregnancy is considered especially dangerous. If the situation allows, it is better to postpone treatment with antibiotics until the 20-24th week.

If during this period it is impossible to avoid treatment with antibiotics, it is carried out only under the strict supervision of a specialist and very carefully. If possible, the doctor prescribes drugs that do not have a cumulative effect, i.e. which do not affect the organs and tissues of the fetus after the mother has stopped taking them.

Indications for taking antibiotics are:

• Acute intestinal infections;
• Inflammation of the kidneys (pyelonephritis);
• Sexually transmitted diseases that can be transmitted to the baby;
• Purulent-septic processes of microbial flora (bronchitis, sinusitis, pneumonia);
• Erysipelas, abscesses, purulent wounds with risk of infection, phlegmon.

Antibiotic therapy must be started immediately so that the fetus is not harmed.

- second trimester

In the second trimester, the negative effects of antibiotics, although reduced, are still present. Therefore, treatment with antibacterial drugs is carried out, as in the first trimester, only as directed by a doctor.

A course of antibiotics is also required after various operations performed during pregnancy.

Indications for taking antibiotics in the 2nd trimester:

• Pneumonia;
• Severe bronchitis, sore throat, sinusitis;
• Diseases of the genitourinary system;
• Acute intestinal infections;
• Extensive purulent lesions, burns, wounds;
• Sepsis;
• Diseases of a bacterial nature (brucellosis, tick-borne borreliosis);
• Venereal diseases.

In the second trimester, it is allowed to take penicillin antibiotics, some macrolides, cephalosporins, and lincosamides. Drugs that can affect the development of the brain or reproductive system of the fetus are strictly prohibited.

- third trimester

In the third trimester, almost all the baby’s organs and systems are already formed, so taking antibiotics is considered even less safe. However, in the later stages, antibiotic therapy can lead to premature birth or miscarriage, so doctors are also very careful in prescribing antibiotic treatment during this period.

The final stage of pregnancy allows you to take antibiotics of approved groups for almost any infectious and inflammatory diseases. The difficulty is that the doctor cannot always accurately determine the pathogen.

Possible consequences of taking antibiotics during pregnancy

Taking antibiotics during pregnancy causes the main harm to the baby: unpleasant consequences rarely affect the condition and health of the mother in labor. Antibiotics can harm the fetus if the dosage is incorrect, when taken in the early stages and in other cases, and among the main consequences are the following:

• Toxic effects on the auditory nerve, kidneys and liver of the fetus;
• Poor circulation;
• Weakened tooth enamel;
• Defects and pathologies of bone tissue formation.

The main complications appear when taking antibiotics in the first trimester; the second and third periods of pregnancy are relatively safe.

What might a woman in labor encounter during antibiotic therapy? Firstly, you have to endure a colossal blow to the liver and kidneys, but the body of a pregnant woman is particularly vulnerable.

Secondly, treatment with antibiotics causes digestive disorders, dysbiosis of the intestines and genital tract, since they are in close proximity, and can even lead to further weakening of the immune system.

How should pregnant women take medications to minimize harm?

To reduce the likelihood of unpleasant and even dangerous consequences of taking antibiotics, you need to adhere to a number of rules:

1. Take antibiotics only as prescribed by a doctor, without exceeding the frequency and dosage of administration.
2. If you feel unwell or feel worse after taking an antibiotic, consult a doctor.
3. Warn your doctor about chronic diseases, allergies, and current use of any medications.
4. Do not exceed the prescribed treatment period (follow the recommended course).
5. Do not buy cheaper analogues or drugs on the recommendation of a pharmacist.
6. Tell your doctor about any side effects.
7. If your doctor recommends hospital treatment, do not refuse it.

Also, after reading about the dangers of antibiotics, you should not refuse to take them, even if they were prescribed by a doctor.

What antibiotics are prohibited from taking?

During pregnancy, some groups of antibiotics are strictly prohibited. These include:

• Tetracycline (Doxycycline). The drug freely penetrates the placenta, causing disturbances in the formation of teeth and bone tissue, and has a destructive effect on the liver.
• Fluoroquinolone (Floxal, Abaktal, Nolitsin, Tsiprolet). A number of studies have shown that taking medications can have a detrimental effect on joint health.
• Clarithromycin (Klacid, Klabax).
• Midecamycin, Roxithromycin. Have a toxic effect on the fetus.
• Aminoglycoside (Kanamycin, Streptomycin, Tobramycin). The active ingredient causes inner ear disorders and kidney pathologies. Taking these medications incorrectly can lead to deafness.
• Furazidin (Furamag), Nifuroxazide (Ersefuril).
• Chloramphenicol (Sintomycin, Levomycin). An extremely dangerous drug during pregnancy, as it disrupts the structure of the baby’s bone marrow and the division of blood cells.
• Dioxidine. The medication can cause chromosomal mutations.
• Co-trimoxazole (Biseptol, Groseptol). The drugs provoke congenital heart defects, external deformities, and fetal growth retardation.

A pregnant woman should be more attentive than ever to herself and her health, but, unfortunately, a weakened immune system does not always meet her halfway. Some diseases and pathological processes in the body cannot be dealt with in other ways, so pregnancy is not an absolute contraindication to this method of therapy, but they should be prescribed very carefully and only by the attending physician.

Antibiotics are biological substances that are synthesized by microorganisms and kill bacteria and other microbes. Without their help, it is difficult to cope with many diseases, but their use is fraught with disruption of certain body functions. The question of whether it is possible to take antibiotics during pregnancy is especially acute, since everyone around is talking about the harmfulness of such therapy for the pregnant child and for the expectant mother.

In fact, a middle ground is needed: a complete ban on antibiotics during this period is impossible, since in some cases they turn out to be vital. However, thoughtful and reasonable use of these drugs will help avoid negative consequences.

The issue of taking antibiotics during pregnancy is decided only by a doctor. You cannot self-medicate on the recommendations of friends. Indications for taking such drugs are very limited. Doctors prescribe them only in the most extreme cases, when no other treatment can help. These include:

• angina;
• bronchitis;
• intestinal infections;
• burns;
• extensive injuries;
• purulent wounds;
• infectious complications (sepsis, for example);
• brucellosis, tick-borne borreliosis.

To avoid severe complications in these cases, the use of antibiotics is justified: the benefit to the mother is more obvious than the risk to the fetus. Unfortunately, not all women understand that antibiotics do not neutralize all microorganisms, and they begin to independently treat with them such diseases for which they are useless:

• ARVI;
• flu;
• elevated temperature;
• cough;
• intestinal disorders;
• fungal infections (skin, mucous membranes).

Uncontrolled, independent use of antibiotics without a doctor’s prescription in the early stages of pregnancy, when the small body is just beginning to form, is especially fraught. The destructive effect of powerful drugs can make adjustments to the development of the fetus, disrupting it and adversely affecting its health.

Consequences of taking antibiotics

The main consequences of taking antibiotics during pregnancy affect the baby, and not the mother herself. They are able to penetrate the placenta into the child’s body. There they have a harmful effect on developing, growing organs, which is subsequently fraught with a variety of pathologies and complications:

• toxic effect (especially in the 1st trimester of pregnancy) on the baby’s auditory nerve and liver;
• circulatory disorders;
• damage to tooth enamel;
• slower bone growth and the formation of severe bone defects.

Scientists are still studying the harmful effects of antibiotics on the developing body of an unborn child. But the fact that in the first months of pregnancy they cause maximum damage has already been proven and is beyond doubt.

Antibiotics, which are used in the 2nd and 3rd trimester, when small organs are already formed, do not cause much harm, but can still cause abnormalities in the future. To prevent this, you need to know which drugs are allowed for pregnant women and do not pose a danger to the health and development of the baby, and which are strictly prohibited.

Prohibited and permitted antibiotics during pregnancy

There are prohibited and permitted antibiotics during pregnancy - dangerous and safe. There is also an intermediate group between them, which is allowed only in particularly dangerous situations.

Prohibited:

• doxycycline;
• tetracycline;
• fluoroquinolones (ciprolet, ciprofloxacin, nolicin, floxal, abactal);
• clarithromycin (fromilid, klacid, clubax);
• roxithromycin;
• midecamycin;
• aminoglycosides (tobramycin, kanamycin, streptomycin);
• furazidin (furagin, furamag);
• nifuroxazide (enterofuril, ersefuril);
• chloramphenicol (synthomycin, chloramphenicol, olazol);
• dioxidine;
• co-trimoxazole (bactrim, biseptol, groseptol).

Acceptable:

• azithromycin (zitrolide, sumamed, hemomycin, z-factor);
• nitrofurantoin (furadonin);
• metronidazole (Trichopol, Klion, Metrogyl, Flagyl);
• gentamicin.

Safe:

• penicillin (amoxiclav, amoxicillin, ampicillin);
• cephalosporins (cefazolin, ceftriaxone, cephalexin, cefixime, cefuroxime, cefoperazone, ceftazidime, cefotaxime, cefepime);
• erythromycin;
• spiramycin (rovamycin);
• josamycin (vilprafen).

Given these lists, a pregnant woman should be wary of any antibiotic treatment. In the 1st trimester, up to approximately 5 months, without urgent need, you can resort to such therapy only as prescribed by a doctor. During this period, the formation of the child’s organs and tissues occurs, and under the influence of powerful drugs, irreversible disturbances in their functioning can occur. If antibiotics are still prescribed, you cannot independently change the regimen, schedule and dosage determined by the doctor. All this is of great importance for the development of the fetus at any stage of pregnancy.

Pregnancy is a special time in a woman’s life. But, unfortunately, a pregnant woman is not immune from diseases that require emergency treatment, including taking antibiotics.

What are the features of embryo development in the 1st trimester?

The first trimester is the most important in a child's development. In order for him to be born without genetic abnormalities and health problems, it is necessary to minimize the influence of negative factors, especially in the early stages of pregnancy.

It is at this time that the formation of the main organs and systems occurs. From the moment of conception until the end of the 12th week, the following are formed:

By the end of the 12th week, the embryo has become a fetus, key organs have been formed and are now awaiting further development.

In what cases is it necessary to take antibiotics during pregnancy?

The strictest ban on taking medications occurs in the 1st trimester. The placental barrier has not yet formed and the consequences of using medications can be detrimental to the embryo.

Fetal development by week

It happens that in the first weeks a woman took antibacterial drugs without realizing her situation.

At such early stages, the effect of antibiotics is usually difficult to predict - the embryo will either die or a healthy baby will be born.

This is due to the fact that the connection between the body of the mother and the child has not yet been fully formed and there is a possibility that the medication will not reach the fetus.

Starting from the 3rd week of pregnancy, the relationship between the maternal body and the fetus intensifies. When prescribing a drug, a doctor must take into account its effect on the development of the embryo. A competent doctor will never insist on taking antibiotics without a good reason. Prescription is permissible only if the benefits outweigh the possible risks.

Diseases requiring the use of antibacterial drugs include:

It is best to start treatment after testing the sensitivity of pathogenic bacteria to the medication. If this is not possible, then the specialist prescribes broad-spectrum antibiotics.

Any drug should be taken only after consultation with a doctor, strictly observing the dosage and duration of the course. This will reduce or neutralize the negative effects of the medication.

Approved antibacterial drugs

Depending on their toxic properties, antibiotics are divided into three main categories:

• Allowed;
• Conditionally permitted;
• Strictly prohibited.

Approved medications include the following groups:

The dosage and duration of treatment will be determined by the doctor, based on the characteristics of the disease, gestational age and individual indications.

Conditionally approved antibiotics are not used during the 1st trimester. In the early stages, penetrating the placental barrier, medications of this group can provoke serious disturbances in the development of the embryo, including its death.

After 12 weeks, the doctor prescribes them in case of urgent need. This group includes:

Strictly prohibited drugs during pregnancy

Studies have shown that regardless of which trimester a woman took drugs from this group, the consequences for the child’s health were significant.

In the early stages of pregnancy, these antibiotics provoke self-abortion, embryonic death, or genetic mutations.

Taking it at a later time may not cause fetal death, but will cause serious health problems for the newborn.

The list of prohibited antibacterial drugs is being adjusted and supplemented. Only the attending physician should make a decision about taking certain medications.

What should you remember?