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Antibiotics during childbirth may be risky

Antibiotics given to mothers during labour and delivery increase the risk of late-onset of bacterial infections in infants.

Antibiotics during childbirth may be risky

Antibiotics given to mothers during labour and delivery increase the risk of late-onset of bacterial infections in infants. Several studies have shown an association between maternal antibiotic therapy, often given to prevent group B streptococcal infections, and early-onset of infection in preterm infants, but the question of late effects of antibiotic treatment during childbirth has not been addressed. Researchers from the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, compared 90 infants who developed serious bacterial infections 7 to 90 days after being born, with 92 similar but unaffected control babies. Infected infants who had been exposed to antibiotics during birth (i.e. intrapartum) as compared to the controls were 41 percent versus 27 percent, respectively. Infected infants were five times as likely to have been exposed to broad-spectrum antibiotic as compared to controls. The findings have uncovered a potentially important, unintended consequence of the widespread use of broad-spectrum antibiotics given to prevent early-onset group B streptococcal infection. The researching team was surprised to find that most mothers (85 percent) accurately recalled whether they had been given antibiotics during delivery. It was found that when an infant is being evaluated for a serious bacterial infection, maternal recollection of intrapartum antibiotics can be a valuable tool during history taking and may help guide initial antibiotic treatment.
Pediatrics,
September 2005

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