Can you take Amikacin Injection while pregnant?
Last updated September 7, 2026.
Usually no, amikacin injection is avoided in pregnancy and reserved for serious infections when no safer antibiotic will work. Amikacin is an aminoglycoside, and drugs in this class cross the placenta and have been linked to permanent hearing and balance nerve damage in the developing baby. Many common infections in pregnancy can be treated with antibiotics that have a longer safety record, so the first step is asking whether one of those fits your infection. When amikacin is genuinely needed, such as for a resistant gram-negative infection or drug-resistant tuberculosis, your care team uses the lowest effective dose for the shortest time and checks blood levels and kidney function. Tell every prescriber that you are pregnant or could be before your first dose, and keep your obstetric team in the loop. Never stop a prescribed course on your own, because a partly treated serious infection carries its own risk to you and the pregnancy.
What to do
- Say you are pregnant: Tell the prescriber, pharmacist, and nurse your pregnancy status and how many weeks along you are before the first dose.
- Ask about alternatives: Ask directly whether a different antibiotic with a longer pregnancy safety record can treat your specific infection.
- Expect monitoring: Amikacin usually comes with blood level checks and kidney function tests, so ask when yours are scheduled.
- Report warning signs: Call your care team about new ringing in the ears, hearing changes, dizziness, or a big drop in urine output.
- Finish the course: If amikacin is the right choice for a serious infection, stopping early can leave the infection active and harm you both.
- Loop in your OB: Make sure the team treating the infection and the team managing your pregnancy have each other's notes.
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