With a positive test for infections during pregnancy, doctors often reinsure themselves by intimidating a woman. But in fact, not everything is so scary and not every infection will have negative consequences for the child.
Viral hepatitis
Viral hepatitis includes A, B, C, D, E. Once in the human body, they cause acute viral hepatitis, and it can be asymptomatic. Viruses B, C and D can cause chronic liver damage.
How can hepatitis be dangerous for a child? Throughout pregnancy, there may be a risk of miscarriage and premature birth. There is a risk of bleeding during childbirth and the postpartum period. The risk of infection in a child increases if a woman develops hepatitis in the third trimester or if the placenta is damaged. Most often, a child becomes infected with hepatitis during the passage of the birth canal.
As a preventive measure, such children are vaccinated with hyperimmune gamma globulin. Women with chronic hepatitis A can only pass it on to their baby during labor. In this case, breastfeeding is also possible if the newborn does not have damage to the oral mucosa.
Toxoplasmosis
Doctors in antenatal clinics are very fond of scaring this "cat infection". Although 70% of women have antibodies to this infection. The danger of toxoplasmosis is only if the infection occurs directly during pregnancy. Infection long before pregnancy does not affect the unborn baby in any way. During the waiting period, take precautions when dealing with your cat. Wash your hands after playing with it, wash the tray only with rubber gloves.
Herpes
The herpes virus is of two types - the first type affects the respiratory system, the second - the genitals. Moreover, if you have never had symptoms of herpes, this does not mean that it is not in the body. Often, pregnancy is the very mechanism that triggers the disease.
Intrauterine infection of a child occurs precisely with herpes of the second type. Most often, infection occurs if the exacerbation of herpes occurred during childbirth. During pregnancy, women at risk of infection should monitor the dynamics of changes in the amount of antibodies.
Cytomegalovirus
Cytomegalovirus infection is also asymptomatic in the body. The only thing that can give it away is a sudden decrease in immunity. For the unborn baby, cytomegalovirus infection can be dangerous if the mother contracted it while she was already pregnant. Signs of infection in a child can be diagnosed by ultrasound (enlargement of the spleen and liver) and in a blood test for the presence of antibodies.
Rubella
Rubella is perhaps the most dangerous infection for an unborn child. If a woman has already had rubella, she is not threatened with re-infection and does not affect the fetus in any way. Rubella is easier to prevent than to cure. Therefore, it is necessary to get vaccinated in a timely manner (it is categorically impossible to vaccinate during pregnancy) and to avoid places where the disease is spread (often it is a kindergarten).
If there is a suspicion of contact with a patient with rubella, it is imperative to donate blood for the determination of anti-rubella antibodies. Even if no antibodies are detected, it is necessary to retest after three weeks. If, on retesting, antibodies appear, rubella can be diagnosed.
