According to the American Pregnancy Association, women between weeks six and 24 of a pregnancy, are more susceptible to urinary tract infections. UTIs are caused by bacterial infection of the bladder and can cause painful symptoms such as burning on urination, abdominal cramping and blood in the urine. Successful treatment can be achieved with the use of antibiotics.
Ampicillin
Ampicillin was the drug of choice for treating UTIs during pregnancy. Ampicillin is similar to penicillin and should not be taken by patients who are allergic to penicillin. One of the common pathogens that cause UTIs, E. coli, has become resistant to treatment with ampicillin. Twenty to 30 percent of UTIs are caused by resistant E. coli, according to the American Pregnancy Association. Ampicillin also has a cross sensitivity to cephalosporin antibiotics. If a patient is allergic to a cephalosporin they may possibly be allergic to ampicillin. Ampicillin can cause C. difficile colitis, an inflammation of the colon that causes severe diarrhea, according to Drugs. com. Diarrhea should be reported to a medical doctor as soon as possible. Ampicillin will need to be taken for seven to 10 days.
Nitrofurantoin
Nitrofurantoin or Macrodantin has been used in pregnancy to treat UTIs. This medication can achieve high levels of concentration in the urine and is a good choice for a UTI while pregnant, according to the American Pregnancy Association. According to Drugs.com, Macrodantin's indication for use is specifically for the treatment of UTIs. This medication should not be used in women who are near term or in labor because Macrodantin can cause hemolytic anemia in the newborn. Hemolytic anemia is an anemia that is caused by deformed red blood cells and can be very serious. The most common side effect of nitrofurantoin is diarrhea, Drugs.com reports. This medication should be taken for seven to 10 days in order to eradicate the bacteria causing the UTI.
Cephalosporins
This class of antibiotic is well tolerated in pregnancy. This is a large class of antibiotics and subsequently they are divided into three groups; 1st, 2nd and 3rd generation. This refers to the continued development of the drugs with 3rd generation antibiotics being the most recently developed. Studies of the use of cephalosporins in pregnancy have not been done in humans. But there have been no reports of birth defects in animal studies, although cefoxitin has been shown to increase the risk of miscarriage in rabbits according to Drugs.com. Ciprofloxicin is commonly used to treat UTIs, and therapeutic doses in pregnancy are unlikely to cause birth defects according to Drugs.com.
