Good news for mothers-to-be: a new study found that using some antibiotics during the early phase of pregnancy will not cause birth defects.
The safety of antibiotic use during pregnancy has been a long point for debate. Several drugs have been labeled as dangerous for the fetus, though some can be considered safe to use during earlier stages of its development.
Researchers analyzed data from the Quebec Pregnancy Cohort, a study based on Canadian women and their babies. The data included information on the women’s lifestyle and socioeconomic risk factors, pregnancy history and usage of medication and natural products.
The data collected allowed the researchers to discover connections between birth defects and the use of the antibiotics penicillin, erythromycin, azithromycin and clarithromycin during pregnancy.
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