Does having an antibiotic drip while in labor cause antibiotic allergies in the baby being born?

No: There are several reasons why your doctor might recommend antibiotics in labor. This is common for gbs (group b strep) infections and if there is a concern for other infections during labor. The recommended antibiotics are safe and are not associated with allergies to medications later in life.

Antibiotics prevent: Antibiotics are given to help prevent transmitting a possible infection to the baby. The risks and benefits of all drugs given to a women who is pregnant need to be determined and discussed with her.

No: The antibiotics given are to prevent a horrible newborn infection called group b strep. This exposure is not associated with allergies as the children grow up.

Unlikely: There is no data which suggests that maternal antibiotics administered during labor predispose an infant to antibiotic allergy.

No.: If anything, fetuses are more likely to tolerate substances that their mother received during pregnancy - not become allergic to them. Antibiotics in labor are a major progress in decreasing perinatal mortality and are vastly safer than risky for any given mother-infant pair. Having said that, allergic reactions are inherently unpredictable and poorly understood.

No: A child's immune system doesn't really "wake up" until several months after birth, so exposure to allergens in utero will not lead to specific allergies in the child.