Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to assess the prevalence, indications, and effects of using antibiotics during pregnancy on both the mother and the newborn fetus.
Methods: This was a retrospective study conducted at Dr. Soliman Fakeeh Hospital between January 2018 and the end of December 2022. The study included all pregnant women who had at least one follow-up in the antenatal clinic and delivery in the hospital.
Results: Between January 2018 and December 2022, in DSFH, 71,710 pregnant women gave birth. Of those women in the minority who used antibiotics for any indication during pregnancy, making up 3% of the total. The top five most common prescribed antibiotics represented 46.8% of all prescribed antibiotics. The top three most common indications for the use of antibiotics during pregnancy were urinary tract infection, vag initis, and upper respiratory tract infection. No association between any maternal outcomes and the use of antibiotics was found during pregnancy. In addition, no significant association was found (p-value = 0.669) between antibiotic users and non-users for the APGAR score at five minutes. However, a strong association was found between NICU admissions and antibiotic use during pregnancy (p-value < 0.01), but it was not significant for neonatal mortality (p-value = 0.759).
Conclusion: A minor percentage of pregnant women receive antibiotics during pregnancy. The use of antibiotics during pregnancy was associated with increased NICU admissions.

Key words: Pregnancy, antibiotics, delivery, bacterial infection, NICU, neonatal mortality, Saudi Arabia