women s health issues
Infections During Pregnancy
Introduction
Most common infections that occur during pregnancy, such as those of the skin, urinary tract, and respiratory tract, cause no serious problems. However, some infections can be passed to the fetus before or during birth and damage the fetus or cause a Miscarriage or Overview of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) None Chlamydia and Other Nongonococcal Infections may cause Gonorrhea can also cause conjunctivitis in newborns. Syphilis can be transmitted from a mother to the fetus through the placenta. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection in Children and Adolescents (HIV) infection is transmitted to the fetus in about one fourth to one third of pregnancies if women who have the infection are not treated. Experts recommend that women with HIV infection take antiretroviral drugs during pregnancy. If women take a combination of antiretroviral drugs, the risk of transmitting HIV to the fetus can be reduced to as low as 1%. For some women with HIV infection, cesarean delivery, planned in advance, may further reduce the risk of transmitting HIV to the baby. Pregnancy does not seem to speed up the progression of HIV infection in women. Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) Infections can be transmitted to the baby during a vaginal delivery. Zika Virus Infection in a pregnant woman can cause the baby to have a small head ( Infections that are not transmitted sexuallyand that can cause problems include the following: German measles ( Rubella ) can cause problems, particularly inadequate growth before birth ( Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Infection can cross the placenta and damage the fetus’s liver and brain, and the fetus may not grow as much as expected. Chickenpox (varicella) increases the risk of a miscarriage. It may damage the eyes of the fetus or cause Toxoplasmosis , a protozoal infection, may cause a Listeriosis , a bacterial infection, increases the risk of Bacterial infections of the vagina (such as Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) ) may lead to preterm labor or Overview of Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) increase the risk of preterm labor and premature rupture of the membranes containing the fetus. Overview of Hepatitis may be transmitted sexually but is often transmitted in other ways. Thus, it is not typically considered a sexually transmitted infection. 