Two top five causes of maternal mortality worldwide are maternal infections and sepsis, a severe infection complication. 10% of maternal mortality is brought on by infections that emerge soon before, during, or after delivery. Neonatal sepsis, which is the cause of 16% of newborn mortality, is substantially more risky when the mother is infected.

A recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that a single oral dose of the common antibiotic Azithromycin lowered the risk of maternal sepsis or mortality by 33% in women who gave birth vaginally. 

Previous studies from the A-PLUS trial showed that Azithromycin administration before cesarean birth decreased maternal infections.

The current study was conducted in eight sites in seven low- and middle-income nations, including Africa, Asia, and Latin America. More than 29,000 women were randomly assigned to an active or placebo group between September 2020 and August 2022. The only dose of Azithromycin administered to participants in the active group was 2 grams. The study′s primary outcome was maternal sepsis or death.

Results showed that maternal sepsis or death occurred in 1.6% of women in the active group compared to 2.4% in the placebo group. Additionally, the Azithromycin group had decreased incidence of several secondary outcomes, such as maternal illnesses such as endometritis, wound infections, and urine infections.

The findings showed Azithromycin lowered the risk of sepsis or death in pregnant women but not the risk of sepsis or death in infants. However, no adverse neonatal consequences were reported.

(Source: https://theprint.in/health/single-dose-of-azithromycin-lowers-maternal-sepsis-or-mortality-study/1366023/)