Safety, Efficacy, and Pharmacokinetics of Oral Antibiotics in Infants with Urinary Tract Infections

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most common bacterial infections in young infants. Many babies under one month of age are treated with antibiotics, but doctors are still uncertain about whether oral antibiotics work as well in newborns as they do in older children or adults. This is because a newborn’s digestive system is still developing, and that might prevent the body from properly absorbing the medicine—possibly leading to serious complications like kidney damage. 

As a result, many infants currently receive long courses of intravenous (IV) antibiotics in hospital. This approach, while cautious, can be painful and stressful for babies and their families, and adds to hospital costs. 

My project focuses on improving this situation. I aim to study how well oral antibiotics are absorbed in young babies, especially after they have received a few initial days of IV treatment. By collecting small samples of blood, saliva, and urine, we can measure how much of the oral medicine actually gets into a baby’s system. This is called pharmacokinetic (PK) research—it helps us understand how medicine moves through the body. 

This knowledge could make a big difference. If we know that babies can absorb enough of the medicine through their mouths, we could safely switch many infants to oral antibiotics sooner—allowing them to go home earlier, reduce the need for painful procedures, and limit the risk of hospital-related complications. 

I will work closely with a team of nurses, pediatricians, pharmacists, and medicine specialists to run this study safely and efficiently. We are also partnering with psychologists and parent advisors to understand the impact of treatment on families and how to improve future studies. 

This project is supported by the IMPaCT program, which helps early-career researchers like me develop skills in designing and running clinical trials. Through this support, I aim to help make antibiotic use safer, more effective, and more family-friendly for our youngest patients.