International clinical guidelines for cesarean section recommend administration of prophylactic antibiotics prior to surgical incision for all cases to reduce the global burden of maternal infectious morbidity and mortality around the time of birth. 1,2 The timing is specified as pre-incision to allow therapeutic tissue levels to be obtained at the potential site of infection at the time of incision and for the duration of the procedure. 3 This differs from the previous practice of administering antibiotics after cord clamping. 2 The change came about following evidence that pre-incision antibiotics reduce the incidence of maternal infection without short-term adverse effects for the neonate. 4,5 With rising rates of cesarean section in many countries worldwide, 6,7 this protocol change results in more neonates being exposed to antibiotics prior to birth than ever before. While the short-term