Could antibiotics pose a birth injury risk?

Antibiotics are an integral part of medicine and have existed in various guises for around 2,500 years. However, it was not until the discovery of penicillin in 1928 and gramicidin and Prontosil in the 1930s that antibiotics became the cornerstone of modern medicine that they are today.

For all their undoubted benefits, antibiotics are not without a history of sometimes damaging side effects. And, although there is no suggestion that use of antibiotics by pregnant women should be avoided altogether, one clinical trial of antibiotic use among 8,000 pregnant UK women suggests there may be a birth injury risk inherent in the use of the drugs.

Reported in The Lancet, the study detailed how giving antibiotics to pregnant women whose waters had not broken increased the risk of cerebral palsy in the unborn child by 4.4%.

The new study has caused concern among birthing professionals, not least because the ability of antibiotics to prevent infection and, in doing so, the onset of premature labour, makes it a popular option for women at risk of giving birth prematurely.

For this group, the advice does not change, and doctors will seek to prescribe antibiotics where there is a real risk of infection, or in cases where the waters have already broken. In a letter to all GPs and obstetricians, Sir Liam Donaldson, the government's chief medical officer, advised, "Antibiotics save lives and pregnant women with possible or obvious infections must be considered for treatment with antibiotics." However, he also warned that anitibiotics "should not be routinely given".

Professor Philip Steer of Imperial College London, also commented on the need to curb any birth injury risk, "The lessons to be learnt seem clear: contrary to popular opinion (might as well give them, they don't do any harm') antibiotics are not risk-free. There are good reasons not to give them in association with threatened pre-term labour unless there is clear evidence of infection. It is vital that practice is not extended by stealth beyond that which is justified by the evidence, and interventions in pregnancy should always be evaluated with proper long-term follow-up."

The Royal College of Obstetricians reaffirmed their belief that the drugs represent the best option for many pregnancies. They stated, "These findings do not mean that antibiotics are unsafe for use in pregnancy. Pregnant women showing signs of infection should be treated promptly with antibiotics."

Clinical negligence solicitors of distinction
Bringing a new life into this world, however anxious a time it may be, should be one of life's richest and most rewarding experiences.

Mothers-to-be and their children are entitled to the best possible care. Substandard or negligent care can have a serious, traumatic and life-changing impact.

If you believe that you or your child has suffered negligence while in the hands of obstetric staff, you may be able to claim birth injury compensation.

The clinical negligence solicitors on our panel specialise in these kinds of cases and share a commitment to a sensitive, client-first approach.

All are governed by the Solicitors Regulaiton Authority, a branch of the Law Society, and consider it their professional duty to observe its Code of Conduct.

We understand that making a compensation claim can sometimes make a traumatic situation seem even worse, we strive to keep the process sensitive and understandable to you at all times. If you wish to receive some obligation-free legal advice or investigate your rights to civil redress, our advisors are on hand to discuss your circumstances, in confidence.

They can be reached online or over the telephone.

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