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Key takeaways
Amoxicillin is an antibiotic that’s commonly prescribed in pregnancy. It’s backed up by years of research proving its safety during pregnancy.
While amoxicillin crosses the placenta, it’s not known to cause birth defects in babies. There are also no serious risks to the pregnancy itself.
The main reason not to take amoxicillin is if you’ve had an allergic reaction to it. In that case, your healthcare provider will recommend alternative antibiotics.
Amoxicillin is a penicillin antibiotic. It’s used to treat bacterial infections of the ear, nose, sinuses, throat, and skin. It’s also frequently used to treat urinary tract infections (UTIs). Amoxicillin is sold under brand names like Amoxil, Moxatag, and Trimox, and is often combined with clavulanate (amoxicillin-clavulanate) for more serious infections.
If you are pregnant and need antibiotics for an infection, you might be wondering: Can you take amoxicillin while pregnant? It’s understandable to want to be cautious with medications during pregnancy, but amoxicillin is widely considered safe when you’re expecting, and providers frequently prescribe it to their pregnant patients.
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Can you take amoxicillin while pregnant?
Amoxicillin is considered a safe antibiotic to take during pregnancy. “It is safe as long as the patient is not allergic to the medication,” says Adi Davidov, MD, associate chair of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwell’s Staten Island University Hospital.
Amoxicillin is considered a pregnancy category B medication, under an older U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classification system. This meant that “our current evidence shows that this medication is unlikely to cause harm to a developing baby,” Dr. Davidov explains, adding that amoxicillin has been extensively used in pregnancy. “We have a large body of observation data that suggests that it is safe,” he adds.
Research backs this up as well. For example, a population-based study out of Denmark found that pregnant women prescribed amoxicillin during pregnancy were not at increased risk for poor pregnancy outcomes, including preterm birth, congenital malformations, or miscarriage. Additionally, a large study, which included almost 7,000 women who took amoxicillin, found no associations between amoxicillin use and fetal congenital disorders.
Why medical professionals consider amoxicillin safe for pregnancy
“Amoxicillin is considered safe during pregnancy and is one of the most commonly prescribed antibiotics for pregnant patients,” says Jennifer Lincoln, MD, OB-GYN and author of The Birth Book. “I prescribe it when it is indicated for infections such as UTIs, and I have no concerns about doing so.”
As Dr. Lincoln explains, not only do we have decades of safety data to show that amoxicillin poses no increased risk in terms of congenital conditions or adverse pregnancy outcomes, but there are real dangers to not treating infections in pregnancy with antibiotics. “We feel comfortable prescribing it because the alternative—untreated infections—is far riskier to pregnancy than the use of a safe antibiotic like amoxicillin,” Dr. Lincoln notes.
Mohak Mhatre, MD, maternal-fetal medicine provider and program director of the Maternal Fetal Medicine Fellowship at Tufts Medical Center, agrees. “Whenever I am choosing to prescribe a medication during pregnancy, I try to determine whether any potential risks of medication exposure are outweighed by the risks of the medical problem being left untreated,” she shares. “Antibiotics are used to treat a number of different infections that can cause serious harm to the pregnant patient and can affect the pregnancy if left untreated.”
Examples of infections in pregnancy that can cause serious issues if left untreated include staph and syphilis, which increase the likelihood of pregnancy-related problems as well as infections in a newborn baby. Both strep and syphilis can be successfully treated with penicillins like amoxicillin or amoxicillin/clavulanate (Augmentin).
What are the risks of taking amoxicillin while pregnant?
There are no serious risks to taking amoxicillin while pregnant unless you are allergic to it. There are also no harmful side effects of amoxicillin when pregnant.
“The risks for amoxicillin use would be if the patient has an allergy to either amoxicillin or penicillins, as it is in the penicillin family of antibiotics,” says Mitchell Kramer, MD, OB-GYN, director of obstetrical and gynecologic strategy and clinical integration at Huntington Hospital. In this case, alternative antibiotics should be considered.
Between 8% and 13% of pregnant individuals report penicillin allergies to their providers, though studies show that true penicillin allergies are rare, with close to 95% of reported allergies disproven after a medical evaluation. Still, true penicillin allergies can be life-threatening, so it’s important that pregnant people not take penicillin when allergic to it.
While not a serious risk to pregnant women, according to Dr. Kramer, sometimes amoxicillin causes GI side effects, like diarrhea and nausea. “Also, as with any antibiotics, a patient can develop a vaginal yeast infection,” he says. Although these are concerns to bring up with your health care provider, there are no reasons why amoxicillin would be off-limits during pregnancy.
As for risks to fetuses, there aren’t any known risks. “Amoxicillin does cross the placenta, but extensive research hasn’t shown harm to the developing baby,” Dr. Lincoln assures.
When to seek alternatives to amoxicillin
The main reason why you’d need an amoxicillin alternative would be if you are allergic to amoxicillin. But that’s not the only reason why you might need to try an alternative antibiotic. Alternatives to amoxicillin would need to be considered if “the particular infection being treated does not respond to amoxicillin routinely or is resistant to amoxicillin,” Dr. Kramer says.
There are several viable alternatives to amoxicillin that are safe during pregnancy. The type of antibiotic used depends in part on the type of infection you have.
According to Dr. Kramer, some pregnancy-safe amoxicillin alternatives commonly used during pregnancy include:
- Cephalosporins such as cephalexin or cefuroxime
- Erythromycin
The bottom line
Amoxicillin is considered safe during pregnancy and is among the most commonly prescribed antibiotics. This is based on many years of use and robust studies proving its safety. Of course, antibiotic use in pregnancy and which antibiotic to take during pregnancy is something to discuss with your healthcare provider. They can help you discuss the risks and benefits of medications and help you make an informed choice about your medication.
- Amoxicillin, StatPearls (2023)
- A population-based study of maternal use of amoxicillin and pregnancy outcome in Denmark, British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology (2003)
- The safety of amoxicillin and clavulanic acid use during the first trimester of pregnancy, British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology (2019)
- Penicillin G, Mother to Baby (2024)
- Safety, effectiveness, and acceptability of antenatal penicillin allergy evaluation: A systematic review, American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology (2026)