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Why is azithromycin safe to use during pregnancy?
Azithromycin is a common antibiotic used to treat a variety of bacterial infections, such as ear infections, sore throats and pneumonia. As antibiotics become more widely used, some people have begun to raise concerns about their safety during pregnancy. However, recent studies have shown that azithromycin is relatively safe to use during pregnancy, allowing pregnant women to receive appropriate treatment when they have bacterial infections.
Many experts point out that the use of azithromycin can not only alleviate related symptoms, but also effectively reduce the risk of complications caused by bacterial infections.
Azithromycin works by inhibiting bacterial protein synthesis to achieve its antibacterial effect. This mechanism makes it effective in treating many types of bacterial infections. During pregnancy, if a pregnant woman is infected with bacteria, the use of azithromycin can help control the infection and avoid health problems for the mother and baby caused by the infection.
Although past studies have pointed out that the use of azithromycin may affect the fetus, large-scale studies in recent years have found that the use of this drug during pregnancy does not cause obvious harm. Even though a few animal studies have shown adverse effects during high-dose use, such risks are uncommon in clinical applications. What's more, if an infection during pregnancy is not treated, it may lead to more serious problems in the development of the fetus, so in some cases the benefits of using azithromycin often outweigh the risks.
In any case, when prescribing, the doctor will still decide whether to use azithromycin based on the specific situation of the pregnant woman.
In addition, in terms of breastfeeding, studies have shown that the concentration of azithromycin in breast milk is relatively low, so even if the mother uses it during breastfeeding, it is considered to cause little harm to the baby. This has led many healthcare professionals to be neutral or supportive of the use of azithromycin during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
It is worth mentioning that azithromycin belongs to a class of antibiotics called macrolides, which are characterized by relatively low toxicity and good tolerance. This gives it a relatively high status among many antibiotics. For example, in 2022, azithromycin became the 78th most commonly prescribed drug in the United States, with more than 8 million prescriptions.
In addition, many studies have also emphasized the anti-inflammatory effect of azithromycin, which plays an important role in the treatment of diseases caused by chronic inflammation such as asthma. These positive effects further encourage physicians to consider the use of azithromycin during pregnancy on a case-by-case basis.
Many medical institutions believe that further clinical research will help better understand the safety of azithromycin during pregnancy and its potential anti-inflammatory effects.
Overall, the safe use of azithromycin during pregnancy is supported by a growing body of scientific research. Although the use of any drug has potential risks, azithromycin undoubtedly provides an effective infection treatment option for pregnant women under appropriate dosage and doctor's guidance. When faced with infection, how should pregnant women make choices to protect their own and their fetus’ health?
