Does having dengue fever during pregnancy affect the fetus?

Symptoms of dengue fever during pregnancy

Dengue fever is a dangerous infectious disease that can happen to anyone: adults, children, the elderly, pregnant women… Manifestations in pregnant women also have diverse clinical points and developments. quickly from light to heavy like any other object.

The first is a sudden high fever, which may be accompanied by shivering. Patient severe headache, body aches, eye socket pain, poor appetite, nausea, body will be dehydrated, thirsty, urinating less…

Subcutaneous haemorrhage: Scattered or spotted petechiae usually on the front of the legs and on the insides of the arms, abdomen, thighs, ribs, or bruises.

Mucous membrane bleeding: Bleeding from the nose, gums, bleeding.

Some symptoms such as hemoconcentration, mild elevation of liver enzymes, and slight decrease in platelet count also occur in normal pregnancy, so dengue fever is easily overlooked in pregnant women. The disease is also easily confused with HELLP syndrome (hemolytic anemia syndrome, elevated liver enzymes and thrombocytopenia in pregnant women).

How does dengue fever affect pregnant women and fetuses?

Pregnant women’s bodies have weak resistance, so they are susceptible to infections and serious illnesses. Especially when they have dengue fever in the early and late stages of pregnancy. The disease can also be transmitted from mother to fetus, although the rate is very small.

Many studies around the world have shown that pregnant women with dengue fever greatly affect the fetus because of the increased risk of premature birth, miscarriage and bleeding. Those are the most common and worrisome complications. However, dengue does not cause birth defects.

Risk of pre-eclampsia, miscarriage often occurs when dengue fever in the first months of pregnancy. At the end of pregnancy, women have an increased risk of preterm delivery and low birth weight. Especially worrying about during labor, dengue fever can cause heavy bleeding, postpartum hemorrhage, risk of death for both mother and baby.

Therefore, when having dengue fever, pregnant women should go to the hospital for medical examination and hospitalization when necessary.

What should pregnant women do with dengue fever?

Pregnant women with dengue fever need to be cared for and closely monitored to avoid rapid and unusual severe changes. Specifically:

– Increase water intake. Eating liquid is easy to digest, helping to provide enough nutrients, reducing the feeling of loss of appetite.

– Pay attention to fever because fever can be dangerous to the fetus. When fever is over 38 degrees Celsius, it is necessary to reduce fever with Paracetamol 10-15mg/kg body weight, apply warm compresses, drink plenty of water, wear cool clothes.

– When the fever is below 38 degrees Celsius, there is no need to use medicine, just apply warm compresses, drink lots of water, and wear cool clothes.

– Pregnant women who are close to the due date of delivery need to be hospitalized for monitoring, to avoid unfortunate situations for both mother and fetus.

– Need to go to reputable medical facilities as soon as symptoms appear for early diagnosis.

– Treatment of the disease also depends on the condition of each pregnant woman, so do not arbitrarily buy or use drugs during pregnancy.

– Newborns whose mothers have been diagnosed with dengue should be closely monitored to limit the risk of transmission.

Prevention of dengue fever in pregnant women

– The place of work and living of pregnant women should be cleaned up, so that there are no containers of stagnant water that can create swarms.

– Turn over old unused buckets, jars and bottles; clean and change the water of flowerpots and offerings at least once a week, clean eaves, roofs, gutters, etc.

– Cover jars, lakes, and water containers when not in use to prevent mosquitoes from laying eggs and generating larvae.

– For places where water is not used for drinking, activities can release fish to kill larvae.

– Use spray, incense, mosquito repellant cream, wear long-sleeved clothes, sleep with nets even during the day… to avoid mosquito bites.

Fuji

Deciding to take a risk to save mother and daughter with dengue fever

5 days after being hospitalized for dengue fever, the 24-year-old pregnant woman’s health suddenly deteriorated. The 38-week fetus shows signs of weakening of the heart.