Why Pregnant Women Should Not Use Antibiotics Without Prescription- Medical Experts

Medical Experts have warned pregnant women of the inherent dangers of using antibiotics without a doctor’s prescription.

The need for caution they say is because pregnancy induces anatomical and physiological changes that increase the susceptibility of women to urinary tract infections.

The medics in the field of obstetrics and gynecology emphasized that women should always remember that not all medicines are safe to use during pregnancy including over-the-counter and prescription drugs.

The maternal health experts said certain medicines including antibiotics taken during pregnancy can increase the risk for birth defects, pregnancy loss, prematurity, infant death, or developmental disabilities.

The World Health Organisation recently warned that the misuse of antibiotics is denting their efficacy and spawning resistant bacteria which could be responsible for 10 million deaths worldwide by 2050.

It cited incorrect prescription as a “cause for concern,” adding that in all the 14 countries, a third of the roughly 8,200 people surveyed had taken antibiotics without a medical prescription.

The global health body revealed that in some countries, over 40 per cent of antibiotics were used without medical advice.

The WHO also noted that there were severe gaps in people’s knowledge about antibiotics, meaning they could be taking antibiotics for the wrong reason without realising it.

The physicians, who spoke during separate interviews with PUNCH Healthwise expressed worry that most pregnant women take some type of medicine (including over-the-counter) and prescription drugs without considering their impact on the foetuses.

An Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at the Alex Ekwueme University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Dr Amuche Nwafor, told the publication that though pregnant women are prone to urinary tract infection, maternal health experts discourage the use of antibiotics in pregnancy because not all of them are safe.

He said besides antibiotics, they discourage drug use in pregnancy as much as possible, citing the health risks.

Nwafor warned that not all antibiotics are safe during pregnancy and therefore, could impact the foetus negatively, especially during the early stage of the pregnancy.

The gynaecologist stated, “We only use antibiotics in pregnancy when it is extremely necessary. Some antibiotics are not safe during pregnancy.

“Some of them will affect the foetus negatively. Antibiotics can cause deformity in the baby. It can affect the bone.”

Nwafor further said it was wrong for pregnant women to go to patent medicine dealers (chemists) to buy antibiotics when they have urinary tract infections and other ailments.

While urging them to desist from self-medication, the gynaecologist warned that the use of antibiotics in pregnancy without a doctor’s prescription has a devastating impact and could cause jaundice in babies.

According to her, it is cheaper and safer for pregnant women to visit the hospital when they are sick rather than patronising patent medicine dealers.

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