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Antibiotics up birth defect risk

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-11-04 10:53

Some of the antibiotics used to treat urinary tract infections during pregnancy may increase the risk of several birth defects if a woman uses them early in pregnancy, a new study in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine shows. Researchers found an increased risk for two classes of antibiotics: sulfonamide (example: Bactrim) and nitrofurantoins (example: Macrobid).

But the antibiotics pregnant women are most likely to be prescribed, the penicillins and erythromycins, appeared to be safe.