When you are sick in childbirth

2023 Author: Anita Thornton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 11:16

You've been visualizing this moment since you found out you were pregnant. But things don't always go as planned and sometimes sickness comes to your birth too.

Bad flu, bad cold

Noooo! D-Day is here, and you're more bad than bad: that damn virus brought back by the oldest in school, or a little bacterium that has claimed many victims, at darling's office. And there you have it: that nasty flu or bad cold will ruin your birth on that important day. You're scared, and that's normal: no one wants to have to wear a surgical mask during the very first meeting with baby. Comfort yourself: in normal times, your doctor will make you wear one, only if you have a fever or suffer from uncontrollable coughing fits. And it's better that way: what's even worse than being sick is that our baby is! Of course, the mask does not eliminate all the risks and you will have to wash your hands repeatedly.

Having a flu or a cold will not prevent you from having an epidural and if you suffer from congestion, you can relieve yourself with saline water or a decongestant byspray. Theoretically, a flu or a cold shouldn't prevent you from giving birth naturally – unless, of course, there are complications, for example of a respiratory nature.

MTS - chlamydia - gonorrhea

Since there are risks for the mother and the fetus, nowadays almost all doctors test the pregnant woman to make sure she does not have a sexually transmitted disease, like chlamydia or gonorrhea. If the mother is not treated with antibiotics, there is a danger that she transmits the disease to her child during childbirth, which risks, among other things, causing conjunctivitis in the newborn. In recent years, this infection has been rather rare, since the eyes of all newborns are treated with an antibiotic cream, and this, from the first moments of life.

Hepatitis

It is possible to pass the viral hepatitis virus to the fetus, either during pregnancy or during childbirth: this is why the attending physicians test all women and, depending on the result obtained, they draw up an action plan.

Most neonatal hepatitis B infections can be prevented with vaccination before and after childbirth.

Condyloma

Condyloma can emerge more frequently during pregnancy: nevertheless, transmission to the child during childbirth, although possible, is rare. This is why doctors usually do not resort to caesarean section,unless the lesions are very numerous and significant, thus risking to interfere with labor or delivery.

If you suffer from condyloma, there are treatments that will be able to relieve you and reduce the number of lesions, as well as the risk of transmission to the newborn, allowing you despite everything to give birth like you wish.

Chickenpox

Although rare, chickenpox is quite serious in pregnant women, since chickenpox can cause lung complications. In addition to causing a host of problems during pregnancy (premature delivery, fetopathy, etc.), delivery during the acute phase of the disease is strongly discouraged. Also, doctors usually try to delay labor with tocolytic, a drug that decreases uterine contractions.

Herpes

It is estimated that 25% of the adult population is infected with herpes and, of course, pregnant women are not immune to an attack of genital herpes. If this recurrence occurs at the time of delivery, it is possible that the mother transmits the disease to the newborn, during its passage through the vaginal canal. However, it should be remembered that this risk of infection remains low, especially if no active lesion is detected in the days preceding childbirth. If your doctor identifies such lesions, it is nevertheless possible that he recommends that you

deliver by caesarean section: in addition to the ordinary inconveniences of the disease, herpes cancause severe pneumonia in the baby. But it rarely comes to that: indeed, it is possible, with the help of the appropriate treatments, to control herpes throughout pregnancy.

Strep B

It is estimated that approximately 15 to 20% of pregnant women are carriers of group B streptococcus, and that one in two will transmit the infection to their newborn, at childbirth. This is the most common cause of infections, sometimes fatal, in newborn babies. Indeed, six to twelve hours after birth, some babies delivered by a surrogate mother develop sepsis, the symptoms of which (respiratory distress, sleep apnea, shock) can lead to death. These babies are also more likely to suffer from meningitis the week after delivery.

To avoid these unfortunate consequences, between the 35^e and the 37^{e week of pregnancy, the doctor usually performs a screening test. All women who test positive are given antibiotics as soon as labor begins. Antibiotics will also be administered to a mother at risk, who has not received her test results.}

After birth, the baby is of course closely monitored and, if he shows signs of infection, he is also given antibiotics.

HIV

65% of mother-to-child transmission of the HIV virus occurs during childbirth. If the mother and the unborn child are not treated, the delivery isvery risky, with a pass rate of 10 to 20%. Fortunately, many treatments have been developed. Thus, when the follow-up is well done and the treatment is well administered, this rate drops to 1%. The virus is transmitted during childbirth by contact between the blood of the mother and the blood of the newborn or by contact with cervical and vaginal secretions. Antiretroviral therapy and Zidovudine treatment given during pregnancy therefore attempt to reduce the viral load in the blood and cervical mucus.

When the viral load has not been lowered enough, for example if the diagnosis was made too late or if the woman does not respond to treatment, then a cesarean delivery will be performed.