Is neosporin safe during pregnancy?

What does the evidence say about neosporin during pregnancy?

1. Neosporin combines three antibiotics, bacitracin, neomycin, and polymyxin B, into a triple-antibiotic ointment used for minor cuts, scrapes, and burns, with bacitracin also sold on its own. 1
2. Topical bacitracin is poorly absorbed through intact skin, and current evidence doesn't point to a higher chance of problems with fetal development from using it, though the data are limited enough that providers still weigh each situation individually. 1
3. Neomycin, the second ingredient in the combination, was classified under the older FDA system as pregnancy category C, and guidance says it should only be used in pregnancy when genuinely needed, since this drug class can cross the placenta. 2
4. Polymyxin B, the third ingredient, works by disrupting the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria, and manufacturers combine it with bacitracin and neomycin specifically for over-the-counter use on minor skin injuries like small cuts and scrapes. 3
5. Topical aminoglycosides, the drug class neomycin belongs to, aren't expected to reach meaningful levels in the bloodstream when used as directed, which is part of why this category is generally considered reasonable to use topically during pregnancy, according to a 2025 review of antibiotic safety in pregnancy. 4

Is neosporin safe in each trimester?

• First trimester. Minor cuts and scrapes don't become more concerning just because you're newly pregnant. A thin layer of Neosporin on a small wound is a low-absorption exposure, well below what an oral antibiotic delivers.
• Second trimester. Nothing changes here specifically. If a scrape needs more than a few days of ointment and a bandage, or the area gets warm, swollen, or streaky, that's a reason to call your provider rather than keep applying more.
• Third trimester. Same guidance holds late in pregnancy. Keep an eye out for signs of a spreading infection, since those need more than a topical ointment can offer, and mention any wound care you're doing regularly at your next visit.