How to prevent and protect women from Infectious diseases like Rubella and Toxoplasmosis during Pregnancy to avoid complications

Today, in most of countries, the majority of infectious diseases are eradicated as a result of vaccination and decades of efforts of the medical professionals. Such fatal infections like tetanus, rabbis and smallpox are very rare and people can feel themselves more protected these days. There are a large number of infectious diseases that can affect your pregnancy and your developing baby.

What is Rubella? What is Toxoplasmosis?

What effects can these infections have on your pregnancy and your developing baby? How to protect yourself and your family?

All infectious diseases can be divided into 2 parts: infection diseases of childhood and general infectious diseases. But all of them can have effect if occurring during pregnancy. We are sure that many of you, when you were kids, got infected with chicken pox or rubella. Yes, of course we felt very bad, but now we know that we have Antigens to this disease in our blood (there is a special medical test to detect if this is so) and therefore we are not prone to suffer from this disease again and during pregnancy. Talking about Rubella, anyone who is not vaccinated against it is at risk of getting this infection. For a pregnant woman, this risk is unjustified and even more if she has another life within her; this disease can have a harmful influence in her developing baby.

Rubella is a virus that causes the most severe damage when the mother is infected early in pregnancy, especially if it happens during the first 12 weeks (first trimester). The developing baby gets congenital rubella syndrome and the risk is very high that the mother might suffer a miscarriage or stillbirth. The most common birth defects from congenital rubella syndrome can include Deafness, Cataracts, Heart defects, Intellectual disabilities, Liver and spleen damage, Low birth weight, Skin rash at birth. Among others less common birth defects are: Glaucoma, Brain damage, Thyroid and other hormone problems and inflammation of the lungs. So! In order to avoid congenital rubella syndrome during pregnancy the woman should get a vaccine before the pregnancy occurs!

Congenital toxoplasmosis

Do you like cats?

You should forget about having any kind of contact with street cats during your pregnancy. Only healthy house-hold cats can be around you. This lovely creature is the most common source of toxoplasmic infection. This disease is caused by Toxoplasma gondii.

If you become infected for the first time just before or during your pregnancy, you can transmit the infection to your baby, even if you don’t have signs and symptoms yourself. Your baby is most at risk of contracting toxoplasmosis at any time during the whole pregnancy. During the first trimester stillbirth or miscarriage can occur and in later periods, seizures, enlarged liver and spleen, yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice) and severe eye infections may be present in the infected baby.

How to check if I am ill?

You need to make a special blood test before and during the pregnancy.
How to protect yourself? Take vaccines, medical tests, follow rules of personal hygiene, and keep healthy.
What are the risk factors? All of them are connected with immunodeficiency.
-HIV/AIDS
-Undergoing chemotherapy
-You take steroids or other immunosuppressant drugs
-You are allergic.

How I can prevent myself against toxoplasmosis during the pregnancy?

-Wear gloves when you are working outdoors. Always wash your hands with antibacterial soap when you come home.
-Don’t eat raw or under-cooked meat.
-Wash kitchen utensils thoroughly.
-Wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly.
-Don’t drink unpasteurized milk.
-Control that your cats stay healthy.
-Ask someone else to clean your cat’s litter box.
-Keep your house clean.
-And always remember you ask your doctor and fertility specialist if you have any questions.
In conclusion!

Prevention from infectious diseases and optimal nutritional care during IVF Surrogacy programs are the key points and our unique advantages at Pons Medical. All our Surrogacy programs are managed by our medical professionals, expert doctors and fertility specialists. Pons Medical Group wishes you a perfect pregnancy!