Pregnancy is one of the most special and delicate moments in a woman’s life. During this period, the body and the woman’s immune system undergo many changes, that is why extra care is extremely important at this stage, so that it does not lead to serious diseases during pregnancy. Complications in pregnancy can happen as a result of some serious diseases during pregnancy. These diseases can be pre-existing or acquired during this period. Serious diseases during pregnancy can affect the mother’s health, the baby’s health, or both. Whether a complication is common or rare, there are ways to manage these problems so that the pregnancy goes as smoothly as possible.
Pre-existing Diseases During Pregnancy
There are many serious diseases in pregnancy that can already exist before the pregnancy is even detected. Once a woman finds out she is pregnant, extra care is needed especially if there are risks to the health of the baby or even to the progression of the pregnancy.
Asthma
Poorly controlled asthma is considered one of the serious diseases during pregnancy, and can increase the risk of preeclampsia, low fetal weight, preterm birth, and other complications. If a pregnant woman stops taking asthma medication, even mild asthma can become severe.
Diabetes
High blood sugar levels during pregnancy can harm the fetus and worsen the disease in the long term. Doctors advise controlling diabetes for at least three to six months before trying to conceive.
Eating Disorders
Changes in body image during pregnancy can worsen eating disorders in women who suffer from this condition. Eating disorders become serious diseases in pregnancy and are linked to many complications, including low weight gain and preterm birth.
Epilepsy and Other Seizure Disorders
Epileptic seizures during pregnancy can harm the fetus and increase the risk of miscarriage or stillbirth. But using medications to control seizures can cause birth defects. For most pregnant women with epilepsy, it is safer to use the control medication than to stop the medication.
Hypertension
High blood pressure is also among the serious diseases during pregnancy. This condition poses a greater risk of preeclampsia and placental abruption. The likelihood of premature birth and low birth weight is also higher.
HIV
HIV can be passed from mother to baby during pregnancy or childbirth and is one of the serious diseases during pregnancy. However, this risk is less than 1% if a woman takes certain HIV medications during pregnancy. Women who have HIV and want to become pregnant should talk to their doctors before trying to conceive. Good prenatal care will help protect the baby and keep him healthy.
Overweight and Obesity
Recent studies have shown that women who are overweight before getting pregnant have a higher risk of a range of pregnancy complications, including preeclampsia and preterm birth. Overweight and obese women who lose weight before pregnancy are likely to have healthier pregnancies.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)
Some STDs can cause early labor, premature rupture of membranes, and uterine infection after birth. Some STDs can also be transmitted from mother to baby during pregnancy or childbirth. STDs can become serious diseases in pregnancy and be harmful to the baby by causing: low birth weight, dangerous infections, brain damage, blindness, deafness, liver problems, or death.
Thyroid Problems
Uncontrolled hyperthyroidism can be dangerous for the mother and cause health problems such as heart failure and low fetal weight gain. Uncontrolled hypothyroidism also poses a threat to the health of the mother and can cause birth defects.
Uterine Fibroids
Uterine fibroids are not uncommon, but few cause symptoms that require treatment. Uterine fibroids rarely cause miscarriage. Sometimes, fibroids can cause preterm birth. A cesarean section may be necessary if a fibroid blocks the birth canal.
Serious Diseases Acquired During Pregnancy
Some diseases can be acquired after pregnancy is discovered, which makes medical monitoring, tests, and treatments even more thorough, aiming to ensure the health of the mother and baby.
Zika Virus
It is a virus that causes mild fever, skin rash, and joint pain. Although there is no conclusive evidence that Zika causes microcephaly (a birth defect that results in babies born with small heads and brain damage), studies have shown that the virus can cross from the infected mother to the baby through the placenta.
Rubella
Rubella is highly contagious and spreads through coughing and sneezing. In healthy people, it causes mild symptoms such as fever, headache, joint pain, and sore throat, but in pregnant women it is considered one of the serious diseases during pregnancy. Rubella in pregnancy can cause miscarriage, stillbirths, or birth defects, including cardiac and brain damage, hearing loss, and cataracts. Babies of women infected during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy develop congenital rubella syndrome, for which there is no treatment.
Group B Streptococcus
It is a type of bacteria often found in the vagina and rectum of healthy women. One in four women has GBS; it is usually not harmful to the woman, but it can be deadly to the baby if passed on during delivery.
Cytomegalovirus
A common virus that can cause illness in infants whose mothers are infected with CMV during pregnancy. CMV infection in infants can lead to hearing loss, vision loss, and other disabilities.
Listeriosis
Pregnant women are 10 times more likely than others to be infected with Listeria, a bacteria that causes mild symptoms and pains, but can lead to miscarriage, preterm birth, or serious infection in newborns. Infection occurs from contaminated food such as unpasteurized milk and cheese, deli meats, and raw or undercooked fish.
Bacterial Vaginosis
A vaginal infection caused by an overgrowth of bacteria normally found in the vagina. It has been linked to preterm and low birth weight babies.
Hepatitis B Virus
A viral infection that can be passed on to the baby during birth. Infected newborns have a 90% chance of developing lifelong infections. This can lead to liver damage and liver cancer. A vaccine can prevent newborns from getting HBV, but 1 in 5 newborns of mothers who are HBV positive do not receive the vaccine at the hospital before discharge.
Influenza (Flu)
The flu is a common viral infection, but it is more likely to cause serious illness in pregnant women than in women who are not pregnant. Pregnant women with the flu also have a higher likelihood of severe problems for the fetus, including preterm birth.
Parvovirus B19
Most pregnant women who are infected with this virus do not have serious problems. But there is a small chance the virus can infect the fetus. This increases the risk of miscarriage during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy. The disease can cause severe anemia in women with red blood cell disorders such as sickle cell anemia or immune system problems.
Toxoplasmosis
Considered another serious disease during pregnancy, this infection is caused by a parasite found in cat feces, soil, and raw or undercooked meat. If passed to the baby while still in the womb, the infection can cause hearing loss, blindness or intellectual disabilities.
Urinary Tract Infection
Bacterial infection in the urinary tract. If left untreated, it can spread to the kidneys, which can cause preterm birth. When you are pregnant, it is important not to wait to seek medical care if something is bothering you or worrying you. Sometimes, physical changes can be signs of a problem. See also: First Pregnancy – Initial Exams and Procedures Photos: DanielReche
