Antibiotic Prophylaxis Trials in Obstetrics: A Call for Pediatric Collaboration

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 23, 2025

Antimicrobial Synergy Testing by the Inkjet Printer-assisted Automated Checkerboard Array and the Manual Time-kill Method
12:03

Antimicrobial Synergy Testing by the Inkjet Printer-assisted Automated Checkerboard Array and the Manual Time-kill Method

Published on: April 18, 2019

27.3K

Rodney A McLaren1, Fouad Atallah1, Howard Minkoff1,2

  • 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York.

AJP Reports
|April 21, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Antibiotic prophylaxis for cesarean deliveries reduces surgical site infections. However, potential long-term risks to newborns from fetal exposure to antibiotics warrant careful consideration.

Area of Science:

  • Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Neonatal Health
  • Infectious Disease Prevention

Background:

  • Surgical site infections (SSIs) are frequent complications following cesarean delivery.
  • Antibiotic prophylaxis is a standard measure to prevent SSIs in cesarean births.
  • Recent research, including meta-analyses, confirms the efficacy of preincision antibiotic prophylaxis.

Observation:

  • Preincision antibiotic prophylaxis significantly lowers the incidence of postcesarean SSIs.
  • Adjunctive azithromycin further decreases infection rates in nonelective cesarean deliveries.
  • Emerging evidence indicates potential long-term adverse effects of fetal antibiotic exposure on neonates, including asthma, obesity, and altered microbiota.

Findings:

  • While antibiotic prophylaxis is effective in reducing SSIs, fetal exposure carries potential risks.
  • The benefits of antibiotic prophylaxis must be weighed against potential long-term neonatal health consequences.
  • Further research is needed to optimize antibiotic regimens and assess neonatal outcomes.

Implications:

  • Clinical guidelines should incorporate the potential risks of fetal antibiotic exposure.
  • Discussions regarding antibiotic prophylaxis for cesarean delivery should include a balanced view of benefits and burdens for both mother and neonate.
  • Future studies should focus on long-term neonatal health outcomes following in utero antibiotic exposure during cesarean delivery.

Keywords:
antibiotic prophylaxisasthmacesarean deliverychildhood obesitymicrobiotaneonatal microbiome

More Related Videos

Using the Overlay Assay to Qualitatively Measure Bacterial Production of and Sensitivity to Pneumococcal Bacteriocins06:05

Using the Overlay Assay to Qualitatively Measure Bacterial Production of and Sensitivity to Pneumococcal Bacteriocins

Published on: September 30, 2014

14.0K
Probiotic Studies in Neonatal Mice Using Gavage10:36

Probiotic Studies in Neonatal Mice Using Gavage

Published on: January 27, 2019

20.5K

Related Concept Videos

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion01:26

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion

In pediatric medicine, understanding the renal function and drug elimination nuances is crucial for administering safe and effective treatments. Newborns, in particular, display markedly slower renal functions than adults, profoundly affecting how drugs are cleared from their bodies. This slower drug clearance requires clinicians to extend the dosing intervals for many medications to prevent drug accumulation and toxicity while ensuring therapeutic efficacy.One key area where these adjustments...
149
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption01:23

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption

Understanding the physiological differences in the pediatric population is crucial for effective pharmacotherapy. Neonates, infants, and children exhibit significant variations in gastric pH, gastric emptying time, intestinal transit time, and biliary function. These variations profoundly affect oral drug absorption, necessitating a nuanced approach to pediatric dosing.Neonates present with a unique physiological profile, having a gastric pH greater than 4 and faster and more irregular gastric...
174
Antibiotic Selection00:57

Antibiotic Selection

Overview
59.2K
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Distribution01:17

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Distribution

Drug distribution in the pediatric population exhibits unique challenges and considerations due to the physiological differences between children, particularly neonates and infants, and adults. A crucial aspect of pediatric pharmacology is understanding how these differences impact the pharmacokinetics of various drugs, necessitating age-specific dosing strategies to ensure efficacy and safety.Neonates and infants have a higher total body water content, ~75%–90% of their body weight,...
194
Urinary Tract Infection III: Diagnostic Studies and Interprofessional Care01:30

Urinary Tract Infection III: Diagnostic Studies and Interprofessional Care

A healthcare provider can diagnose a urinary tract infection (UTI) through several methods:Medical History and Symptoms: The provider will take a detailed medical history and ask about symptoms such as frequent urination, burning sensation during urination, and lower abdominal pain.Urinalysis: A clean-catch urine sample is collected in a sterile container and tested for the presence of bacteria, white blood cells (leukocytes), nitrites, blood, and protein. The presence of leukocytes and...
189
Drug Dosing: Infants and Children01:29

Drug Dosing: Infants and Children

Pediatric patient dosages diverge from adults due to disparities in body surface area, total body water, and extracellular fluid per kilogram of body weight. The dosing regimen considers the variations in pharmacokinetics and pharmacology across distinct age groups, encompassing preterm newborns, infants, young children, older children, and adolescents. Calculation of pediatric patient doses is predicated on determining body surface area, which exhibits a superior correlation with the child's...
177