Topical ophthalmic antibiotics not tied with increased adverse neonatal outcomes: Study

A study was conducted investigating the association between exposure to topical ophthalmic antibiotics during pregnancy and adverse neonatal outcomes.

In this retrospective cohort study, we identified pregnant women with hordeola, chalazia, blepharitis, or bacterial conjunctivitis from 2005 to 2018 using the Japanese Medical Data Centre Claims Database. From the eligible women, we extracted women who have dispensed no topical antibiotics during the first trimester (non-antibiotic group), women who have dispensed topical fluoroquinolones alone at least once (fluoroquinolone alone group), and women who have dispensed any single type of antibiotic (single-antibiotic group). We compared the frequency of congenital anomalies (CA), preterm birth (PB), low birth weight (LBW), and the composite outcome of these three between the fluoroquinolone and non-antibiotic groups and between the single-antibiotic and non-antibiotic groups, using propensity score adjustment.

Results:

• A total of 891 eligible women were identified. In the fluoroquinolone (n = 409) and non-antibiotic (n = 309) groups, CA occurred in 6.8% and 6.8%, PB in 2.4% and 3.2%, LBW in 2.9% and 3.2%, and the composite outcome in 10.5% and 11.3%, respectively.
• Analysis using propensity score adjustment showed no significant difference between the groups in the frequency of CA, LBW, or the composite outcome.
• A comparison of the single-antibiotic and non-antibiotic groups showed similar results.

Thus, topical ophthalmic antibiotics for hordeola, chalazia, blepharitis or bacterial conjunctivitis during the first trimester were not associated with increased adverse neonatal outcomes.

Reference:

Safety of topical ophthalmic antibiotics in pregnant women with hordeola, chalazia, blepharitis, or bacterial conjunctivitis: a propensity score analyses by Yohei Hashimoto et al. published in the Eye.

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41433-021-01586-y