Editing Ampicillin (section)

=== Specific populations===
Ampicillin is one of the most used drugs in pregnancy,<ref name="weiner">{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/completeguidetom0000wein_t9k5|url-access=registration|quote=ampicillin pregnancy.|title=The Complete Guide to Medications During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding: Everything You Need to Know to Make the Best Choices for You and Your Baby| vauthors = Weiner CP, Rope K |publisher=St. Martin's Press|year=2013|isbn=978-1-250-03720-6|pages=[https://archive.org/details/completeguidetom0000wein_t9k5/page/47 47]–49}}</ref> and has been found to be generally harmless both by the [[Food and Drug Administration]] in the U.S. (which classified it as [[Pregnancy category#United States|category B]]) and the [[Therapeutic Goods Administration]] in Australia (which classified it as [[Pregnancy category#Australia|category A]]).<ref name="AHFS2015" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tga.gov.au/prescribing-medicines-pregnancy-database|title=Prescribing medicines in pregnancy database | author = Australian Government Department of Health Therapeutic Goods Administration|date=25 October 2017|work=Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)|publisher=Australian Government Department of Health|access-date=23 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220210434/https://www.tga.gov.au/prescribing-medicines-pregnancy-database|archive-date=20 December 2016|url-status=live}} {{Small|Note: scroll down to "Search by name" and type "ampicillin" into the search bar. Requires JavaScript to be enabled.}} <!-- If you can find a way to link directly to the "ampicillin" entry, please replace the URL (and title, if needed) and remove the appended note. --></ref> It is the drug of choice for treating ''[[Listeria monocytogenes]]'' in pregnant women, either alone or combined with an aminoglycoside.<ref name="AHFS2015" /> Pregnancy increases the [[Clearance (pharmacology)|clearance]] of ampicillin by up to 50%, and a higher dose is thus needed to reach therapeutic levels.<ref name="weiner" /><ref name="rello">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wysQmU5bYAAC&pg=PA172|title=Infectious Diseases in Critical Care| vauthors = Rello J, Kollef MH, Díaz E, Rodríguez A |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media|year=2010|isbn=978-3-540-34406-3|pages=172}}</ref>

Ampicillin crosses the [[placenta]] and remains in the [[amniotic fluid]] at 50–100% of the concentration in maternal [[Plasma (blood)|plasma]]; this can lead to high concentrations of ampicillin in the newborn.<ref name="rello" />

While lactating mothers secrete some ampicillin into their breast milk, the amount is minimal.<ref name="AHFS2015" /><ref name="weiner" />

In newborns, ampicillin has a longer half-life and lower plasma protein binding.<ref name=eghianruwa>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CtfIAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA26|title=Essential Drug Data for Rational Therapy in Veterinary Practice| vauthors = Eghianruwa K |publisher=AuthorHouse|year=2014|isbn=978-1-4918-0010-2|pages=26}}</ref> The clearance by the kidneys is lower, as kidney function has not fully developed.<ref name="AHFS2015" />