Waiting for a baby is the most touching and crucial moment. Unfortunately, joyful emotions can be overshadowed by such a negative moment as the disease. What to do if staphylococcus has developed in a pregnant woman? Is it possible in such a situation to give birth to a full-fledged child? It is worth considering this issue in detail.
What is a disease?
Staphylococcus in pregnant women is a spherical harmful bacteria that cause serious diseases. Most often they are clusters that can only be seen under a microscope in the laboratory. In appearance, they look like a small bunch of grapes.
Disease classification
There are several forms of manifestation of staphylococcus in pregnant women:
- Staphylococcus aureus is a pyogenic bacterium. Doctors say that this is the most common, and at the same time, the most dangerous form of the disease during pregnancy, which can cause significant harm to both the health of the mother and the health of the unborn baby.
- Epidermal staphylococcus. The presence of these bacteria in the body manifests itself in the form of rashes on the dermis. Doctors also call it a skin bacterium. Compared with Staphylococcus aureus for pregnant women, it is practically safe, especially for women with good immunity. But purulent processes of internal organs may occur when penetrating through the skin or open wound.
- Saprophytic staphylococcus is a bacterium that forms only in the urinary tract. Most often, it becomes the cause of the development of urogenic sepsis or nephritis.
- Hemolytic staphylococcus bacteria are purulent in nature. When they enter the body, conjunctivitis or blepharitis may develop. This type of disease is also almost harmless. It causes mild and short discomfort in a person.
As it turned out, the most dangerous form of the disease for pregnant women is Staphylococcus aureus. Infection can progress on the mucous membranes or in the uterus. When it appears, the health of the woman and the baby is at risk. It is required to immediately consult a doctor and choose the optimal treatment.
What is he appearing for?
There are several reasons why staphylococcus aureus appears in a pregnant woman. It is worth considering the most common of them:
- Close contact with an infected person, for example, interacting with him at home or sharing food.
- Surgery or blood transfusion. An infection enters the body through a medical instrument or equipment.
- A long non-healing wound, which becomes a favorable environment for the development of bacteria.
- Some types of illnesses, such as diabetes, hypothyroidism, HIV, respiratory infections, and flu stamps.
- Often, the reason for the discovery of Staphylococcus aureus in a smear in pregnant women is non-compliance with hygiene standards.
- Some types of medications, especially antibiotics and hormones, can also give a push.
The reasons for the development of such a dangerous bacterium as staphylococcus are numerous. Therefore, it is very important to protect your health from negative factors while waiting for the baby.
Transmission methods
Based on the above reasons, it is not difficult to guess how to become infected with this disease. There are 6 main transmission routes of staphylococcus:
- airborne droplet;
- exogenous;
- contact household;
- food;
- fecal-oral;
- medical.
Through one of these forms, the bacterium enters the human body. Further, it begins to multiply and produce toxins, which leads to the development of inflammatory processes and pathological phenomena.
How to recognize a disease?
As it turned out, Staphylococcus aureus in pregnant women is a fairly serious disease. The sooner it is detected and the sooner measures are taken to eliminate it from the body, the more chances a woman has to save her health and her baby. It can be recognized by several characteristic signs:
- Change in the appearance of the skin: the appearance of acne, eczema, redness, dermatitis and other lesions on it.
- Prolonged runny nose is a characteristic symptom for the formation of staphylococcus in the nose of a pregnant woman.
- Severe throat pain and problematic swallowing. In the early stages of bacterial reproduction, only slight discomfort is felt: the appearance of dryness and perspiration.
- Prolonged lack of appetite.
- Great discomfort when urinating. The appearance of sharp pain in the lower abdomen and back is a characteristic symptom in the formation of staphylococcus, in the urine of pregnant women you can find this bacterium.
A woman who plans to become a mother must herself listen to her body. The appearance of new suspicious symptoms is required to be reported to your gynecologist.
Diagnostic examination
If the patient has reason to suspect staphylococcus, then she needs to see a doctor immediately. The specialist will listen to the worries of the expectant mother and prescribe a series of diagnostic tests for her.
First of all, you need to pass a urine test. In laboratory conditions, it will be revealed whether there is sepsis or Staphylococcus aureus in the inoculation of a pregnant patient.
Additionally, consultation with the ENT specialist will be required, he will examine the throat. Also, the uncharacteristic size of the hemolytic type of bacillus can cause suspicions. Narrow specialists, namely, an ophthalmologist, dermatologist or nephrologist, will need to be visited only if the corresponding symptoms occur: skin lesions, conjunctivitis, pain in the lower abdomen and discomfort during urination.
Most often, doctors find staphylococcus in pregnant women in a smear. During the examination, the gynecologist takes the “material” from the vagina and passes it to the laboratory. A very serious problem is if a microbe is detected in it, since there is a high risk of transmitting the bacteria to the child through the birth canal. Therefore, the patient is prescribed immediate treatment or she is transferred to a hospital.
If there is a suspicion of Staphylococcus aureus in the nose of a pregnant woman, then an additional smear is taken in the laboratory from mucous membranes.
Drug treatment
Staphylococcus is hardly a disease. It is a harmful bacterium that penetrates the body and disables its important mechanisms. It is highly recommended not to fight it yourself using traditional medicine methods. Firstly, this will not bring the desired effect, that is, the patient will provide more time for the full development of the bacterium. Secondly, against the background of improper treatment, the chances of complications increase.
Thus, prescribing drug therapy should only be an experienced specialist after a diagnostic examination. Most often, there is a need for taking potent drugs - antibiotics. They can be different depending on the affected area:
- Local antibiotics - with the development of staphylococcus in pregnant women on the mucous membranes, for example, in the nose. After detecting the bacteria, the modern drug Chlorophyllipt can be prescribed.
- Antibiotics for internal use - with the reproduction of the microbe in other areas (Azithromycin, Vancomycin, Amoxicillin).
- If a woman is infected with a golden species, then a complex treatment is prescribed. It consists of local treatment and taking drugs that increase the immunity of the mother, without affecting the fetus - “Activin”, “Timalin”.
- The most effective treatment is staphylococcal bacteriophage.
The course of treatment for pregnant women from staphylococcus and the dosage of drugs is also strictly selected by a specialist. While taking antibiotics, the effectiveness of drug therapy is mandatory checked, if it is absent, other drugs are selected.
Additional treatment measures
It has already been said above how staphylococcus is treated in pregnant patients. As it turned out, an integral part of this process is the use of antibiotics. However, in some cases, it becomes necessary to use additional drugs and equipment:
- Quartzing of the room in which the expectant mother lives. This action is necessary to prevent infection of the household and the re-wave of the disease for the patient herself.
- With conjunctivitis, it is required to lay a tetracycline ointment under the eyelid or to instill drops in each eye based on this active substance.
- Additionally, anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs (Ibufen, Paracetomol, Ketorol) can be prescribed.
- If staphylococcus is manifested in the form of lesions on human skin, then there will be a need for the use of gentamicin ointment.
The most important thing that a future mother should do is to fully comply with the doctor's recommendations and take care of her baby. An important factor is the absence of stress. Only an organism in a calm state can fully cope with the elimination of a harmful bacterium. With the right approach, you can quickly forget about the disease.
Complications
As soon as a woman saw two strips on the test, she should understand that now she needs to take care not only about herself, but also about another body that is actively developing under her heart. Therefore, if any suspicious symptoms appear, she should forget about all the cases and immediately consult a doctor. If you do not start treating staphylococcus in a timely manner, a number of complications may appear:
- The bacterium will begin to multiply rapidly and affect the body. It can cause the development of pneumonia, peritonitis, diseases of a dermatological or purulent nature.
- The body of the future mother from the very first week of pregnancy begins to prepare for lactation. This means that the mammary gland is more affected, therefore, mastitis is often formed.
- The most dangerous complication of the disease is inflammation of the inner membranes of the heart, which can lead to death of the patient.
- While the bacterium grows and multiplies in the human body, it releases very harmful toxins. They instantly spread throughout the body, including penetrate the child. During their exposure, the baby will feel bad and experience pain. In addition, due to disruption of the body, it will not be able to fully develop, which will lead to the formation of gross pathologies.
Staphylococcus is not just a bacterium, but a provocateur of serious diseases and complications. To maintain their own health and ensure the full development of the crumbs, it is required to begin the correct treatment as soon as possible.
Preventative measures
After identifying the causes of staphylococcus in pregnant women, preventive measures have been developed that will prevent infection with this bacterium:
- Strictly required to observe personal hygiene. Of course, for expectant mothers for 9 months a ban on taking a hot bath is introduced, but still it is recommended to go to the shower daily and rinse the vagina with an antibacterial agent.
- A woman during pregnancy exposes her body to various diseases. This is due to an increase in the load on the body, and, therefore, with a decrease in immunity. This means that in order to avoid the development of bacteria, it is necessary to strengthen it: to walk more, give up bad habits, eat right, and perform light physical exercises.
- It is required to create an environmentally friendly atmosphere in the room in which the expectant mother lives: regularly do wet cleaning and ventilate the room.
- After each visit to the street and public places, it is mandatory to wash your hands and change street clothes at home.
- Do not talk with infected people. During pregnancy, you should stay more at home, avoiding crowded places.
- It is strictly forbidden to allow hypothermia.
- Do not visit clinics that are not credible. Before each procedure, you should make sure that the equipment and medical instruments comply with safety standards.
Of course, compliance with preventive measures does not guarantee that staphylococcus can be avoided. However, the chances of his appearance will be reduced several times.
Forecast
Unfortunately, more and more often, expectant mothers are diagnosed with such a serious problem as staphylococcus aureus. Specialists have already developed a strategy for eliminating it from the body, so the chances of a full recovery are quite high, but only if the microbe is detected in a timely manner and the patient adheres to all the doctor's recommendations.
But the threat to the pregnant woman still exists. It is worth noting that carrying a baby is a complex process that causes a certain load on the body. Under its influence, the condition may worsen. Quite often, against the background of this condition, complications appear and other concomitant diseases develop. The risk is also, for both the mother and the baby, premature birth and the birth of a child with a low body weight, which also happens for the same reason.
Who else is predisposed and active periods
There are certain people and certain points at which the risk of spreading the infection increases significantly. As for staphylococcus, the chances of defeating them increase in the following cases:
- during pregnancy at any time;
- when there are some chronic diseases, oncological pathologies, eczema, rheumatism or diabetes mellitus;
- when taking medications that negatively affect the immune system;
- in acute illness: acute respiratory viral infections or acute respiratory infections;
In addition to pregnant women, this disease often occurs among medical professionals, as due to official circumstances they constantly have to contact infected people.
How to give birth?
The presence of bacteria in the body does not affect the process of childbirth if it does not have time to penetrate the organs. If you find any problems, you should contact a gynecologist, he will independently evaluate the health status of the pregnant woman and determine whether she can give birth on her own or still have to do a cesarean section.
Staphylococcus aureus during pregnancy is not always a problem. You can fully live with him, adhering to drug therapy. You can maintain your health and your baby if you listen to the advice of qualified doctors and turn to us for help in a timely manner.