Purpose: to study the effects of ciprofloxacin on abortion percentage, maternal weight gain during pregnancy, fetal and maternal death, gross fetal malformation, newborn number, weight and neurological reflexes. Methods: we used 30 Wistar rats, divided into three groups: D50-treated (ciprofloxacin, 50 mg/kg); D100-treated (ciprofloxacin 100 mg/kg) and control group which received physiological saline per os, from the 1st to the 7th day after mating. We studied abortion percentage, maternal weight gain during pregnancy, fetal and maternal death, gross fetal malformation, newborn number and weight at 1st, 3rd, 5th and 10th day of life and newborn neurological reflexes at 1st, 3rd, 5th and 10th day of life. Results: there was no difference between groups in the number of rats that became pregnant. The same was found for maternal weight gain and newborn number. There was a difference in newborn mean weight on day 3rd, 5th and 10th (p = 0.006, 0.01 and 0.03, respectively). The D100 newborn group was the one with less weight gain up to the 10th day of life. We found a significant difference (p = 0.002) in the newborn orientation reflex on the 1st day of life, that disappeared afterwards. No abortion or gross malformation was found in this study. Conclusions: ciprofloxacin modified the newborn weight and reflex on the first days of life. In conclusion, we consider that the use of ciprofloxacin should be restricted during the pregnancy.
Antibiotics; Drugs in pregnancy; Fetal malformation; Urinary infection
