Birth Defects Linked to UTI Antibiotics

For most of us the health of our children is one, if not the most important things in our lives.  I know I see the most distraught patients when family members are ill.   Sometimes they can do something about it, take family to doctors.

But birth defects is something that no one can do much about except perhaps repairable defects like cleft palate.  The recent research findings published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine report brain, heart, limb and cleft palate deformities from commonly used medications for urinary tract infections (UTI). Here is the article:

Birth Defects and UTI antibiotics article

While there is questions about the exact connections to the medicine and the  suggestion that more research is needed there is an underlying moral to the story:

• medicines can do injury to the fetus
• sometimes it take decades to be determined
• less foreign substances in the body are better even if prescribed
• natural treatments are available. Seek them out first.

For UTI common alternative treatments include:

1. Increase water intake
2. Add a tablespoon of cranberry concentrate to 8oz of water to acidify the urine.  The benzoic acid in cranberries is not converted to a sugar like citric or other acids.
3. take acidophilus to support the natural bacteria that keep the pH balance protective in the urinary tract
4. decrease refined sugar intake.  Some women become pre-diabetic with pregnancy and sugar spills over in the urine making it an easy place for bacteria to breed.

This topic hits home.  My brother is two years younger than I and brain-damaged at or before birth.

-Dr. Miller

Note:  Discuss any treatments with your doctors.