Antibiotics in Pregnancy: Life-Saving When Needed, Harmful When Not

From Semmelweis to stewardship: why infection prevention still defines safe maternity care. The Safety Ledger — Notes on accountability, error, and what it really takes to keep patients safe.

Antibiotics once conquered maternal infection. Today, their overuse risks undoing that victory. True safety in obstetrics means knowing when and when not to prescribe.

It’s easy to forget that a century ago, childbirth was often deadly. Before antibiotics and antiseptic technique, infection was the leading cause of maternal death. In the mid-1800s, Ignaz…