The importance of studying antimicrobials in pregnancy.

Pregnant women and their unborn fetuses are a population with unique and heightened risks from a variety of infectious conditions. Sizable percentages of pregnant women receive antimicrobials during pregnancy for various indications. Despite this, many of the available antimicrobials in current use have inadequate data to fully inform evidence-based dosage recommendations to optimize clinical impact. Because of non-inclusion of pregnant women in clinical trials this situation exists and challenges the obstetric providers' ability to provide evidence-based treatment. Examples of the impact of the current status of exclusion of pregnant women from participation in clinical trials will be highlighted. In addition, successful models of research permitting safe and informative investigations of various antimicrobials in pregnancy will be discussed.