You want to cure your infection but it comes with a certain risk, experts now say.
When you’re pregnant, it can seem like your general health problems simply won’t go away. Some women have blissful pregnancies that don’t present them with any discomfort except in the final months when they fell like a walking balloon. Other women simply can’t get a day of peace.
Ladies, you know what I’m talking about: skin rashes, yeast infections, allergies, urinary tract infections, the list can go on and grind you down.
Knowing you can go to your doctor to get a prescription to cure your what ails you can offer patients relief, both mentally and physically.
But a new study, is raising warning flags. Doctors need to be cautious when it comes to prescribing antibiotics to pregnant women, experts say.
Miscarriage
The work comes out of the University of Montreal in Quebec, Canada, and it shows that taking antibiotics during your pregnancy can increase your risk of suffering a miscarriage.
As the study’s lead author Dr. Anick Bérard points out, using antibiotics to treat infections has been linked to very good things, as well. It can decrease the risk of giving birth to a premature baby and babies with low birth weights, which is definitely a good thing.
But it’s important to be aware of the other side of the coin, at the same time, the study’s authors say.
Dr. Bérard explains that certain types of antibiotics are increasing the risk of spontaneous abortion, with a 60% to two-fold increased risk.
What’s the bottom line? The study’s authors want infections to be treated in expectant women. They’re hoping the work encourages policy-makers to update their guidelines though, regarding the treatment of infections during pregnancy, to consider the additional risks.
So, if that skin rash is annoying but livable, it might be best to wait it out if you’re pregnant.
Photo credits: alexitskovich/Bigstock
