Infections are some of the most feared and most common complications of pregnancy. A pregnant woman can get sick herself, and she may also pass on an infection to her growing baby. Possible infections during pregnancy range from things like urinary tract infections (UTIs), to pneumonia, to lifelong conditions like Hepatitis B. Some of the most feared infections that a mother can pass to her baby in the womb are the congenital ToRCHeS infections. ToRCHeS (stands for Toxoplasma Gondii, Other, Rubella, Cytomegalovirus, Herpes, and Syphilis) infections are a group of diseases that cause mild illness in pregnant women, but severe illness in foetuses. Babies born with ToRCHeS infections may have symptoms from intellectual disability to deafness that last their whole life.
Because of the possible lasting effect on a growing baby, preventing infections in pregnancy is extremely important. Many different people and things can be vectors (carriers) of disease and should be avoided by pregnant women. Vectors can be cats (which transmit Toxoplasma Gondii), other people through sex or needle sharing (like in Hepatitis B), and even young children (who can transmit things like Strep infections and Parvovirus).
There are a multitude of symptoms that happen during infections in pregnant women. These can vary a lot, depending on the particular cause of an infection. Still, some general symptoms include:
For ToRCHeS infections, the symptoms in a pregnant woman might be:
Unfortunately, babies who get congenital ToRCHeS infections have severe symptoms. These include:
Infections in pregnancy are caused by a variety of things, including animals, some foods, people, and environments. It’s important to talk to your doctor about what to avoid while you’re pregnant.
Factors that increase the risk of infection during pregnancy include:
Infections in pregnancy are usually diagnosed by taking a medical history, and then combining that history with some tests. These tests are usually called cultures (for bacteria) or viral panels (for viruses). They investigate exactly what kind of microbe is causing your illness and help determine the right kind of treatment for you.
The treatment of infections in pregnancy depends on what is causing the illness. Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections in pregnancy. If your infection is viral, your doctor may choose an alternate treatment, like steroids, or rest, or even blood transfusions. It is very important to follow the treatment plan of your doctor during pregnancy, for the health of the mother and the baby.