Prevention of Intrauterine Growth Restriction and Preterm Birth with Presumptive Antibiotic Treatment of Pregnant Women: A Literature Review

Abstract

Intrauterine growth restriction and preterm birth (PTB) account for a large share of global child mortality, morbidity and developmental loss. Of the numerous risk factors for these conditions, maternal infections have been most consistently identified. Our aim was to study if presumptive antibiotic treatment of pregnant women before any signs of the onset of labor would promote fetal growth and reduce the incidence of PTB or low birthweight (LBW). In a systematic literature search, we identified 14 clinical trials of sufficient quality. Eight trials concluded that there was a positive effect on one or both of the conditions, and others found no such association. The trials reporting an effect were typically conducted in Sub-Saharan Africa (6 trials) and with broadest spectrum antibiotics, whereas data from India (2) suggested no intervention effect and trials in the US (5) or Europe (1) yielded both positive and negative findings. We conclude that appropriately chosen presumptive antimicrobial treatment of pregnant women, targeting infections in the reproductive tract but also other maternal infections such as malaria, other parasitic diseases, skin infections, and periodontitis, can in selected contexts promote fetal growth and reduce the incidence of PTB and LBW.