New Delhi, Dec 19 (Bureau) Pregnant women are more severely affected by infections as compared to non-pregnant women, said Dr. Vimee Bindra – Fertility Enhancing Surgery Specialist: Endometriosis Excision Surgery Specialist & Co-Founder “Endocrusaders”. Dr Vimee, also the founder of Endometriosis foundation of India said in a release here on Monday that the most common infections in pregnancy are hepatitis B and C, toxoplasmosis, herpes, genital herpes, rubella, and HIV. Rubella, a viral infection, if contracted especially in the first or early part of the second trimester, the baby can be affected. Rubella can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, deafness, cataract, and brain damage, she said it can be detected through a prenatal blood test. Hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV are infections which once found during pregnancy will be there till delivery and thereafter. Herpes, toxoplasmosis, CMV and hydatid cyst remain in a dormant state.
These infections, when acquired during pregnancy, remain for life, Dr Bindra said. Even after successful treatment of these infections, it has been found to remain dormant for a long time in the body and can be detected by tests. Similarly, hepatitis B and C are also found in the body for life long, she said it is very important that proper awareness is needed to create these diseases for women. Pregnancy makes women more susceptible to certain infections and increases their severity, Dr Bindra said. Hepatitis B is transmitted via sex and direct contact with infected blood products. It can be easily detected through prenatal tests, the surgeon said Hepatitis B usually affects the liver. If a mother is hepatitis B positive, her infectivity must be assessed by the HbeAg test. Active and passive immunization of the baby should also be ensured at birth. Hepatitis C infects the liver and is transmitted by infected blood products, contaminated needles, and syringes and through sex. An expectant mother may pass on this infection to the baby, but the risk is much lower as compared to HIV and hepatitis B, she said. Hepatitis E infects the liver and is transmitted through contaminated water and food.
If contracted in the third trimester of pregnancy, it can be fatal, increasing maternal and fetal morbidity as well as mortality, Dr Vimee said. While referring to Toxoplasmosis, an infection caused by cat faeces, she said this infection can adversely affect the baby. So, avoid contact with cats and litter, if possible. Treatment can reduce the risk of the baby being infected and the severity if the infection is contracted. Cytomegalovirus, a type of herpes virus. It is known to cause many problems in unborn babies, such as visual impairment, hearing loss and neurological problems, Dr Bindra said. Chickenpox can be dangerous for a pregnant woman and her unborn baby, depending on which trimester she gets this infection. 95 per cent women are immune to this as they have a childhood history of chickenpox. A simple blood test can determine the immunity status, she said. Genital herpes can be dangerous for the baby, especially at the time of delivery. If it occurs early in pregnancy, treatment is available.
A mother diagnosed with genital herpes may be advised a caesarean section to avoid transmission to the baby during labour. HIV or retroviral infection is screened as a part of routine antenatal tests. If results are positive, counseling is required on how to prevent transmission to the baby and how to treat this infection during pregnancy and delivery, Dr Bindra said that HIV can be transmitted to the baby during delivery. Treatment in pregnancy can successfully reduce transmission to less than 1 in 100. A mother having HIV will be advised not to breastfeed the baby. Parvovirus B (called as Slapped cheek Disease) is common in children and is characterized by a rash on the cheek. Usually more than 60 per cent women are immune to it, but it is a highly contagious infection which can be contracted during pregnancy, she added.