Because of various infections, the need to place pregnant women on antibiotics may arise.

While this listing is necessarily incomplete due to space considerations, it will give you a guide to selecting antibiotics for these women.

Because no antibiotics have been thoroughly tested in pregnant women, “safe” in this context means a relative degree of safety. As with many other areas of medicine, risks of treatment (including theoretical risks) must always be balanced against risks of non-treatment or alternative treatment.

Penicillins – Safe during pregnancy.

Cephalosporins – Safe during pregnancy.

Erythromycin – Safe during pregnancy (except for estolate).

Azithromycin – Safe during pregnancy.

Tetracycline(incl.doxy) – CONSIDERED UNSAFE AT ANY TIME DURING PREGNANCY.

Metronidazole – Safe after 14 weeks. Avoid single-dose therapy. Safety prior to 14 weeks not well-established.

Aminoglycosides – Basically safe during pregnancy, but renal and ototoxicity are potential problems if the dose is high or prolonged.

Clindamycin – Safe during pregnancy.

Chloramphenicol – Probably safe prior to 28 weeks

Sulfa drugs – Safe prior to 34 weeks. After that, babies may develop jaundice if exposed to sulfa.

Quinine – Only to be used in life-threatening, chloroquine-resistant P. Falciparum infections

Miconazole – Safe during pregnancy.

Clotrimazole – Safe during pregnancy.

Quinacrine – Probably safe during pregnancy.

Chloroquine – With prolonged or high doses may cause congenital defects.

Pyrimethamine – Safe after 1st trimester. Add folic acid supplement.

Trimethoprim – Safe after 1st trimester. Add folic acid supplement.

Primaquine – May cause hemolytic anemia in the presence of G6PD deficiency. You may use it if needed.

Nitrofurantoin – Safe after 1st trimester. May be safe earlier (conflicting data).