How to Prevent Prenatal Infections
How to Prevent Prenatal Infections for Healthier Pregnancies
Whether it’s your first or fourth, planning a child’s birth is an exciting, joyful time in most parents’ lives. While everyone wants a happy, healthy baby, certain prenatal infections can occur that could affect the health of the pregnant mother and baby during pregnancy or after birth. In honor of February being International Prenatal Infection Prevention Month, Pegalis Law Group, LLC looks at what causes prenatal infections and what can be done to prevent them to create proactive parents-to-be.
What Causes Prenatal Infections? How Common Are They?
Prenatal infections may be more common than you think. It’s estimated over 60% of U.S. pregnant women are likely to have an infection during the first trimester or later during their pregnancy. Some prenatal infections are caused by the common cold, flu viruses, or urinary tract infections (UTIs). Many of these may not severely affect the baby’s development. However, pregnant women can also contract viral or bacterial infections that could be dangerous to the baby’s development, including:
- Zika virus
- HIV
- Hepatitis
- Bacterial vaginosis
- Group B streptococcus
- Sexually transmitted infections
- Toxoplasmosis
- UTIs leading to kidney infections
What Can Be Done to Promote a Healthy Pregnancy?
If not detected, fungal, parasitic, viral, and bacterial infections transmitted from the mother to the baby during pregnancy or birth can result in babies born with disabilities or even infant death. Prenatal infections are often responsible for premature births and low birth weights. While you can’t prevent all prenatal infections, you can lower your risks and promote a healthier pregnancy through effective prenatal care. During the first trimester, you should expect to visit your doctor at least once a month. The second and third trimesters may require more frequent visits. Prenatal care helps you lower your risks for pregnancy-related complications, including many prenatal infections. Early diagnosis and treatment are essential when it comes to prenatal infections.
Discuss Concerns With Your Doctor During Prenatal Care
You should discuss any pregnancy-related concerns with your doctor during your prenatal care. Pregnant women should keep up-to-date with CDC-recommended vaccinations to prevent infections. These include the annual flu shot and the Tdap vaccine, which protects against pertussis (whooping cough), diphtheria, and tetanus. There are some vaccines which are not recommended when you are pregnant, but you should consult your physician prior to becoming pregnant regarding your vaccine status for the human papillomavirus (HPV), measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR), or varicella (chicken pox). You should also discuss COVID vaccines and boosters with your physician. You may want to get tested for sexually transmitted infections, as treatments may be monitored during pregnancy. Labor plans may also be changed to avoid transmission risks. Here are a few other general tips to help you prevent some of the most common prenatal infections:
- Wash hands after using the bathroom or handling pets
- Avoid touching or changing dirty cat litter
- Wash hands after being around someone who is ill
- Avoid visiting locations or people with known infections
- Wash hands before and after eating or prepping food
- Avoid consuming unpasteurized milk or milk products
- Wash hands after changing diapers or playing with kids
- Avoid cleaning up after wild or pet rodents
Focused on Proactive Patients for the Past 50 Years & Counting
As a New York-based personal injury and medical malpractice law firm for the past 50 years, Pegalis Law Group, LLC is dedicated to creating proactive patients. Please visit our website and follow us on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to receive additional insights to keep you and your loved ones healthy and happy this year.