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Ode to Prenatal Infection Awareness Month

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prenatal infection

February is often characterized with kissy face emojis and cupids. February is also National Prenatal Infection Awareness Month.  Prenatal infections are as real as your love for chocolate.  They can be passed from mom to baby in 2 ways:  across the placenta during pregnancy (prenatal) or during labor through the birth canal (perinatal).  Infections during pregnancy are grouped as bacteria, viruses and parasites and manifest in different ways.  Infections can result in: miscarriage, severe birth defects and pre-term labor.   The affect they have on an infant can result in low birthweight, developmental abnormalities or congenital disease. Infections contracted during pregnancy may persist after birth and cause abnormalities that may not be recognized for months or years.

We want to arm you with some important tips on how you can decrease the chance of infections during pregnancy .

How to Minimize Your Risk for Prenatal Infection

  1. Take 250 – 500 mg of Vitamin C and 30 – 50 mg of Zinc daily to support your immune system
  2. Wash your hands often (especially when around children) with soap and water.
    • Use alcohol-based hand gel. only when soap and water are not available..
  3. Avoid  sharing forks, cups, and food with young children.
  4. Cook your meat until it’s well done,  there should be no pink inside. Do not eat hot dogs, luncheon meats, or deli meats, unless they are reheated until steaming hot. Undercooked and processed meats may contain harmful bacteria.
  5. Avoid unpasteurized (raw) milk and foods made from it. Do not eat soft cheeses such as feta, brie, and queso fresco unless their labels say they are pasteurized. Unpasteurized products can contain harmful bacteria.
  6. Do not touch or change dirty cat litter. Have someone else do it. If you must change the litter yourself, be sure to wear gloves and wash your hands afterwards. Dirty cat litter may contain a harmful parasite called toxoplasmosis.
  7. Wear gloves gloves when gardening outside since toxoplasmosis, the same parasite that is found in cat litter, can be spread from dirt.  
  8. Get tested for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), such as HIV and hepatitis B, and protect yourself from them.  Some people that have HIV, hepatitis B, or an STD don’t know they do.
  9. Talk to your doctor about vaccinations (shots).  Some are recommended before you become pregnant, during pregnancy, or right after delivery.  Know which ones are for you.
  10. Ask your doctor about group B strep.  About 1
    in 4 women carry this type of bacteria, but do not feel sick. An easy swab test near the end of pregnancy will show if you have this type of bacteria. If you do have group B strep, talk to your doctor about how to protect your baby during labor.

 

Infections are not always obvious, you may not even feel sick. If you think may have an infection be safe, see your doctor.

Talk to your doctor about additional ways to prevent infections during pregnancy.  The tips above are a great start to a healthy pregnancy but there is more you can do.  Together, you and your doctor will find what is best for you.

To download a Preventing Infections Tip Sheet from the CDC website click here  in English or Spanish.

 In honor ofBE_WELL_ROUNDED-e1453605214782 Prenatal Infection Awareness Month, healthy mama®brand is sharing the
love. For the month of February take 20% off our
Be Well Rounded! prenatal vitamin. Now  that is worth a kissy face emoji.

 

Go ahead mama, take your Be Well Rounded! prenatal vitamin which contains 19 essential vitamins and minerals including, Vitamin C and Zinc,  and smell those roses and flowers!

 

Oh and Happy Valentines Day too!

 

The CDC has put together Interim Guidelines for Pregnant Women during a Zika Virus Outbreak. 

For more information on Prenatal Infections visit the CDC website.


 

The information above was compiled using information from the following sources:

Momjunction.com, https://www.momjunction.com/pregnancy/

New Kids – Center, https://www.newkidscenter.com/Pregnancy-Care.html

American Pregnancy Association, https://americanpregnancy.org/

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, https://www.cdc.gov/