Antibiotics and Pregnancy

Antibiotics are another class of drug that, if taken during pregnancy, can cause problems. Different antibiotics cause different problems.
Penicillins , cephalosporins and erythromycin are considered the antibiotics of choice during pregnancy, with wide safe margin.
Aminoglycosides , sulfonamides , and metronidazole are not contraindicated during pregnancy and can be used when indicated.
Quinolones were blamed for causing arthropathy in children but are not teratogenic . However, they should be probably avoided during pregnancy, and future studies will shed light on their effect on cartilage formation.

Perhaps the only antibiotics that should be avoided during second and third trimester are tetracyclines due to their effects on teeth and bone, although no teratogenicity was shown to occur with these drugs.

The information in this page is presented in summarised form and has been taken from the following source(s):
1. Motherisk, The Hospital for Sick Children: http://www.motherisk.org/