Pregnancy is a wonderful period in the life of every woman, but it is during the gestation that we become more suspicious, we have numerous fears and concerns. Think about it: during our grandmothers and mothers, no one had a clue about sexually transmitted diseases and infections, giving birth to strong and healthy children. A completely different thing these days. A future mother, having learned about her interesting situation, must pass a lot of tests. That is why the concept of pregnancy planning is so relevant at present. Future parents, deciding to have a baby, must visit a medical institution together, pass all tests, including infections, if necessary, undergo treatment, and then proceed to the conception procedure. But in practice, sometimes everything happens exactly the opposite.
A woman at the first visit to the gynecologist for the purpose of registration passes all the tests, after which she is diagnosed with the presence of sexual infection. One of the most common problems today is ureaplasmosis during pregnancy. Opinions are divided about this disease. Many modern boys and girls do not have the slightest idea about her, and do not seek to find out. What is the danger of ureaplasmosis during pregnancy? What consequences can an infection have for a woman and a fetus? This is what we will talk about in this material.
About infection
Ureaplasmosis refers to infectious diseases, the causative agent of which is the bacterium of the same name. For a long time it was believed that it is transmitted exclusively through sexual contact. But in 1998, after the advent of the International Classification of Diseases, ureaplasmosis was attributed to inflammatory diseases of the genitourinary system. And there are objective reasons for that.
The fact is that the ureaplasma bacterium lives in the vagina of 70% of women, but under normal conditions does not manifest itself, does not cause the slightest discomfort. 90% of the vaginal microflora is represented by lactobacilli, the remaining 10% is assigned to pathogenic organisms, which in the conditions of high protective properties of the body do no harm. It is enough to catch a cold, weaken your immunity, as harmful organisms begin active reproduction, becoming precursors of infectious diseases.
If in the framework of a laboratory study in the female body ureaplasmas are detected in the maximum permissible amount, it is customary to consider the representative of the fair sex as a carrier of infection.
Pregnancy and ureaplasmosis
Finally, we have come to the conclusion that many women have become more attentive to their health. Fortunately, there are more and more people who undergo a full examination before the alleged conception. And quite often, having passed the necessary tests, they find out about the infection - ureaplasma. And here the woman asks the main question: how does the infection affect reproductive function? Does it interfere with conception?
From a medical point of view, the bacterium does not pose any obstacles to the fertilization of the egg. But this disease is still better to treat before you become pregnant. Treatment of ureaplasmosis during pregnancy is complicated by the restriction of drugs, since most of them can have a detrimental effect on the baby. That is why it is so important to fully recover before conception.
Risk zone
Where does ureaplasmosis come from during pregnancy? Implications for the woman and the fetus? How vigilant and attentive should every modern woman be to rid herself of the unpleasant manifestations of the disease and its consequences? Before studying the symptoms, let's look at those situations that lead to infection.
This disease is transmitted from person to person only through sexual contact. By the way, even oral sex can cause infection, so you need to be extremely careful in their sexual relationships. Household methods of infection, that is, through common objects, a pool and others, contrary to the prevailing stereotype, are absolutely excluded.
Symptomatology
A microorganism such as ureaplasma is mainly based in the vagina. But in medical practice, there are cases when the infection was able to spread further: into the urethra and even the uterus. By the way, the deepest infection infection most often occurs directly in the process of labor. That is why it is so important to treat the disease on time.
Given that ureaplasmosis during pregnancy can affect various parts of the genitourinary system, the symptoms can also be different. The incubation period averages 1 month. At its end, the first symptoms of ureaplasmosis in women during pregnancy begin to appear:
- white discharge from the vagina;
- increased discharge intensity.
And here the first difficulties arise: pregnancy provokes the production of more mucus, so women sometimes do not pay any attention to the symptoms of infection.
Such symptoms go away pretty quickly. Unfortunately, in most cases, women do not consider them the reason for going to the doctor, starting an infection. The disease freezes for a while, but at the slightest stress, fatigue, cold, it begins to decisively attack. Symptoms depend on the location of the infection:
- Vagina - in this case, an inflammatory process develops, accompanied by thick white discharge. Quite often, women confuse these symptoms with thrush, not considering it a good reason for visiting a gynecologist.
- Uterus - if the infection moves further and affects the lining of the uterus, endometritis may develop. In this case, pain in the lower abdomen is added to the whitish discharge.
- Bladder - infection in this case leads to the development of cystitis, accompanied by frequent urges to urinate and burning during it.
Ureaplasmosis in early pregnancy is dangerous primarily because few women react to its first signs. Even if after acquaintance with the reviews of modern mothers and conversations with more experienced friends, it makes no sense to deny the obvious, many prefer to self-medicate, not realizing how dangerous the infection really is. As a result, women are actively fighting thrush, vaginosis, launching a real problem.
Hazard rating
Having understood the symptoms, it is important to understand what risk exists during infection. What is the danger of ureaplasmosis during pregnancy for a woman and a child? Some time ago, the diagnosis of this infection was an indication for abortion. Just think what consequences it carries. It was believed that the disease has an extremely negative effect on the unborn child, provoking the development of complications and pathologies. How dangerous is ureaplasmosis during pregnancy? Can the consequences for the child be prevented? It is not surprising that these issues concern all future mothers.
A number of medical studies have found a direct relationship between ureaplasmosis and a missed pregnancy. In the event that it is not possible to prevent infection of the fetus, most likely, the cessation of its further development cannot be avoided.
In fact, ureaplasmosis during pregnancy is dangerous, but not so much. Medical practice shows that with this diagnosis, you can make and give birth to a healthy baby. However, the negative impact of infection on the fetus cannot be denied.
First trimester of pregnancy
When is ureaplasmosis most dangerous during pregnancy? The effect on the fetus in the first trimester of pregnancy raises a lot of questions. If the infection enters the baby before the placenta is finally formed, it will be quite difficult to avoid infection of the fetus: most likely, ureaplasma will still enter its blood. This is precisely what will cause developmental abnormalities and serious pathologies in the unborn child. Nevertheless, there is still a chance for the opposite - from the first days of conception, the female body throws all its efforts to protect the crumbs, therefore it can effectively resist even such a viral infection.
Unfortunately, ureaplasmosis during pregnancy leads to loosening of the cervix, which in turn can lead to its premature opening and rejection of the fetus, that is, a miscarriage. According to some reports, it can cause a child to develop congenital pneumonia.
The last trimester of pregnancy
Many believe that the infection is dangerous only in the first months after conception. Of course, during the birth of a new life, the formation of the basic systems of the child, the disease poses the greatest threat, but in the last months, ureaplasma can cause premature birth.
Diagnostics
It is much better if the study on ureaplasma is carried out as part of a general examination of the body during pregnancy planning. Indeed, in this case, it will be possible to prevent the negative impact of infection on the fetus. During pregnancy, the study is carried out only in the presence of concomitant symptoms.
It is quite problematic to diagnose ureaplasma in a pregnant woman, because it is very difficult to reliably determine its presence in the microflora of the vagina. Today, there are three diagnostic methods:
- Polymer chain reaction (PCR) - records the presence of ureaplasma DNA in the vaginal microflora. One of the most effective and fast diagnostic methods, because after 4-5 hours you can already get the result. The disadvantage is the inability to determine the number of microorganisms. This method is most often used for the initial detection of infection.
- Analysis for the presence of antibodies to the ureaplasma antigen - is most often used to determine the cause of infertility or miscarriage.
- Bacteriological culture - involves a preliminary collection of biomaterial from a woman's vagina. A smear is placed in a nutrient medium, where the possibility of the development of the disease is determined by the rate of development of pathogenic microflora. Indicator 10 to the fifth degree in the case of a pregnant woman is not dangerous, treatment in this case is not prescribed. A significant advantage of this method is the ability to determine the degree of effectiveness in the treatment of infections of various medications to ensure the high efficiency of subsequent treatment. It will take 2-3 days to get the result.
Treatment
The fight against infection during pregnancy should be carried out exclusively under the supervision of a specialist. It is strictly forbidden to engage in self-medication, since any medical preparation, even in a small amount, can harm the child. Treatment of ureaplasmosis during pregnancy is complicated by the fact that the range of drugs that are acceptable for use is instantly narrowed, which may affect effectiveness. That is why it is better to treat the disease before pregnancy.
But if it was not possible to avoid infection, you are looking for the answer to the question of how to treat ureaplasmosis during pregnancy, for starters, remember one simple truth - both partners must fight the infection. In addition, during treatment, you should abandon sexual activity or use a condom in the process of sex to prevent the exchange of bacteria.
Like any infectious disease, ureaplasmosis is treated exclusively with antibiotics. And here, many mothers recall that these drugs and pregnancy are simply incompatible. What to do in this case? Most often, when an infection is detected at an early stage, treatment is delayed until 20-22 weeks to reduce the likelihood of developing a pathology from taking antibiotics.
Is it necessary to take all drugs
Quite often, women after receiving a doctor receive a huge list of medicines, which are a course of treatment. Like any modern person, they start using the Internet to get acquainted with drugs, instructions and indications for use, sometimes without noticing anything in common with their problem. And then the appropriateness of accepting this entire list comes into question.
The fact is that the use of antibiotics often requires additional intake of medications, especially immunomodulators and those that help restore the intestinal microflora. Under the influence of antibiotics, unfortunately, the entire microflora is killed, both harmful and beneficial, which increases the risk of developing dysbiosis. So, in order to prevent this condition, the doctor prescribes such a large list of drugs.
To summarize
Ureaplasmosis in pregnant women, unfortunately, is a poorly understood disease. And all because until recently, no one was involved in the diagnosis of infections of the genitourinary system. The full effect of ureaplasmosis on pregnancy and the fetus has not yet been fully established. That is why once again we want to remind you that all examinations, including for sexually transmitted diseases, must be carried out at the stage of pregnancy planning, so that in the future not to harm yourself and your baby.
But even if it is not possible to prevent infection or detect it early, it is necessary to immediately begin treatment under the supervision of a gynecologist conducting your pregnancy. In principle, you should be more careful about your health, regularly take tests and in no case do self-medication. The consequences are hard to even imagine. It is better to spend time and energy looking for a qualified specialist who will support you all 9 months of waiting, help with his advice and recommendations. This will save you from a number of mistakes and help to make and then give birth to a strong and healthy baby.