Amoxicillin in Pregnancy and During Breastfeeding

Amoxicillin is a commonly prescribed antibiotic in clinical practice. Its clinical applications range from simple throat infections all the way to complex pneumonias and sexually transmitted diseases. The use of amoxicillin may be required at any time in life and this can include during pregnancy and breastfeeding. However, there is a concern regarding its use during these phases of life in women can in this article we shall briefly discuss amoxicillin in pregnancy and amoxicillin during breast feeding.

Amoxicillin and pregnancy

According to the US FDA, amoxicillin has been categorised under category B regarding its warnings in pregnancy. This means that they do not appear to be any significant problems taking amoxicillin during pregnancy as clinical trial data and animal studies have not demonstrated any problems so far. However, it is always wise to be cautious using amoxicillin in pregnancy and must be done so only when the benefits of taking the drug clearly outweigh the risks of any side-effects.

Clinical trials have also demonstrated that using amoxicillin during pregnancy, especially in the first trimester, does not increase the chance of the fetus developing any malformations during growth. Furthermore, there does not seem to be any alterations in the regular growth of the fetus throughout pregnancy and women go on to be delivered of healthy babies.

In short, amoxicillin is considered safe in pregnancy.

Amoxicillin and breastfeeding

This is another common concern amongst women who are breastfeeding their babies. Medication that is taken during breast feeding periods can sometimes be passed down through the breast milk to the baby during feeding. With regards to amoxicillin, it appears that a small amount of the drug that is taken during the breastfeeding period is secreted in human milk. The ultimate concentrations that are reached within the infant’s bloodstream however are reassuringly small.

The American Academy of Paediatrics has a list published about which medication is suitable to be used in breastfeeding women and amoxicillin is included in this list.

In other words, the use of amoxicillin during breast feeding seems to be fairly safe.

Amoxicillin is a commonly used antibiotic in numerous clinical conditions especially in the management of infections. As infections can affect pregnant and breastfeeding women, antibiotics such as amoxicillin will required to be used in such situations. Fortunately, clinical data supports the use of amoxicillin in both pregnant women and breastfeeding women. This use has been approved by the US FDA and also the American Academy of Paediatrics.