Childhood diseases and pregnancy

Rubella and pregnancy

One of the infectious diseases belonging to the group of diseases typical of the preschool age is rubella. It has a mild course in children, but can cause serious consequences when a pregnant woman becomes ill. Because of the risks of contracting rubella during pregnancy, every mother-to-be has her rubella antibody levels tested at the beginning of pregnancy. Most women of reproductive age have IgG antibodies present due to mandatory vaccination against measles, mumps and rubella, which have been part of the vaccination calendar since 1988.

• Rubella in pregnancy- complications

Having contracted rubella during pregnancy carries serious complications in the form of congenital rubella in the fetus. If the infection occurs during the first trimester of pregnancy, the child may develop deafness and eye defects such as congenital cataracts. In addition, the disease causes damage to the cardiovascular system and neurological disorders. It is recognized that up to 90% of babies develop complications if the infection occurred in the first 11 weeks of pregnancy.

• Rubella in pregnancy- how to prevent it?

Given the consequences of rubella in pregnancy, it’s a good idea to check your vaccination card and antibody levels even before pregnancy. In such a situation, it is possible to possibly be vaccinated in the directions of measles, mumps and rubella before becoming pregnant. Since the MMR vaccine is one of the live vaccines, it is necessary to wait after vaccination for about a month before trying to get pregnant. It is also important, as with other infectious diseases, to avoid, especially in early pregnancy, large concentrations of children, especially those of preschool age.

Smallpox and pregnancy

A popular infectious disease among preschool children is smallpox. A large part of the population, especially adults, is not vaccinated against it due to the fact that smallpox vaccine is not among the mandatory vaccinations. However, many people have contracted it in childhood, so contact with smallpox in adulthood does not cause a recurrence of the disease. However, it happens that the mother-to-be has never had smallpox, and the infection occurs during pregnancy.

• Smallpox in pregnancy- complications

Pregnant women are at risk of a more severe course of the disease than other adults. If the infection occurs in the first half of pregnancy, the baby may develop complications in the form of neurological and skin symptoms or low birth weight. If smallpox infection occurs late in pregnancy, the newborn may present symptoms of the disease after birth.

• Smallpox in pregnancy- management

A pregnant woman who has been in contact with someone sick with smallpox should report to the hospital. If she has never had the disease she will receive immunoglobulin, designed to protect her from the dangerous complications of smallpox. In the case of symptomatic smallpox in the mother-to-be, an antiviral drug is administered – usually acyclovir in the appropriate dose.

Read more:
Smallpox in pregnant women – symptoms, treatment, prognosis

Parvovirus and pregnancy

An increasingly common infectious disease of childhood among pregnant women in recent times is the so-called “infectious disease of childhood. erythema contagiosum caused by parvovirus B19. In a pregnant woman, it often produces no symptoms, but is extremely dangerous to the fetus.

• Parvovirus-risk in pregnancy

If parvovirus occurs during pregnancy, one of the symptoms may be generalized fetal edema visible on ultrasound as a result of anemia in the baby. If intervention is not undertaken, intrauterine necrosis can occur.

• Parvovirus in pregnancy- treatment

Diagnosis of the disease involves testing for the presence of antibodies in the mother’s blood. In addition, the maximum systolic velocity in the middle cerebral artery (known as MCA PSV) is assessed. Treatment for generalized edema in the course of parvovirus involves intrauterine blood transfusions.

Read also:
Parvovirus B19 infection in pregnancy