If a baby is having trouble breathing, a chest x-ray may be taken to look for signs of pneumonia. Antibiotics Suspected bacterial infections are treated with antibiotics. The IV is used to give antibiotics to newborns to make sure that the right amount of antibiotic reaches the baby's bloodstream. Antibiotics are not well absorbed into the blood from a baby's stomach. If the baby is given antibiotics by mouth, the concentration of the medicine in the baby's blood will be too weak.
Treatment usually begins with two antibiotics.
These antibiotics treat all the bacteria that might cause infection in a newborn. Both antibiotics are very safe and have been used for a long time in newborns. They have very few side effects. In general, newborns do not have allergic reactions to medications, even if other family members are allergic. We can monitor gentamicin levels in the bloodstream and adjust the dosage so that it is just right.