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Updated: Oct 22, 2025

A Murine Model of Fetal Exposure to Maternal Inflammation to Study the Effects of Acute Chorioamnionitis on Newborn Intestinal Development
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Exposure to antibiotics during pregnancy alters offspring outcomes

Wenhao Qu1,2, Linsheng Liu1, Liyan Miao1,2

  • 1Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.

Expert Opinion on Drug Metabolism & Toxicology
|August 26, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Maternal antibiotic use during pregnancy impacts infant gut microbiome development and health outcomes. These microbiome alterations may offer protective effects and novel therapeutic targets for children later in life.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiome research
  • Perinatal health
  • Pediatric disease

Background:

  • Microbial composition is integral to human health.
  • Antibiotic exposure in pregnancy can negatively impact the neonatal gut microbiome.
  • This may lead to adverse infant development, including allergies, metabolic and brain disorders, and infections.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the effects of maternal antibiotic use during pregnancy on offspring health.
  • To explore potential disease risks in animal and human offspring.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on maternal antibiotic exposure and offspring outcomes.
  • Analysis of animal and human data.

Main Results:

  • Antibiotic exposure during pregnancy demonstrably alters offspring development.
  • Changes in the microbiome composition were observed.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal antibiotic use during pregnancy has lasting effects on offspring.
  • Microbiome alterations present potential protective benefits and future therapeutic avenues for pediatric conditions.
Abstract

Keywords:
Antibioticsgut microbiotaoffspringpregnancy

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