Does a pregnant woman's fever affect the fetus? What is the best way to deal with it?

The most taboo thing for pregnant women during pregnancy is fever. Once the fever is caused by a virus, the virus is very likely to enter the fetus through the placenta, which may cause congenital heart disease, hydrocephalus, anencephaly and microcephaly.

1. Symptoms of fever caused by viruses

The most common fever caused by viruses in life is the fever caused by viral colds. The impact is most serious in the early stages of pregnancy. The cold virus has a direct impact on pregnant women, and the high fever caused by the cold (above 39 degrees Celsius for 24 hours) and toxins produced by metabolic disorders have an indirect impact. Moreover, the virus can enter the fetus through the placenta, possibly causing congenital heart disease, hydrocephalus, anencephaly and microcephaly. The use of bacterial specific activity increases the risk of cardiovascular malformations in the fetus. Animal experiments show that virazole has teratogenic and embryocidal effects, so pregnant women are prohibited from using this product.

How to deal with it

Chorionic villus tissue is collected at 6-8 weeks of pregnancy for chromosome examination; amniocentesis is performed at 16-20 weeks of pregnancy for chromosome examination of amniotic fluid cells; at the same time, the alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level in the mother's blood is dynamically monitored; pay attention to B-ultrasound tracking to see if there are any abnormalities in the gross morphology and internal organ structure of the fetus. At the same time, take appropriate countermeasures or terminate the pregnancy according to the doctor's advice.

2. Low-grade fever caused by fever in early pregnancy

In the early stages of pregnancy, some pregnant women will have a fever that lasts for several days. If the body temperature does not exceed 37.50C, it may be due to physiological changes caused by the pregnancy itself, rather than a fever caused by a cold. As long as you pay attention to rest and drink plenty of boiled water, your body temperature will gradually return to normal. However, if the body temperature exceeds 37.50C and is accompanied by symptoms such as sore throat and cough, seek medical attention promptly and take medication under the doctor's guidance.

How to deal with it

1. Find out the cause of the fever and take into account nutrition and rest. In addition to finding out the cause of the fever, it is necessary for pregnant women to reduce the fever moderately. Fever often increases the body's metabolic rate and is accompanied by many uncomfortable symptoms such as headache, loss of appetite, general fatigue, palpitations, and even dehydration, which increase the burden on the cardiopulmonary function of pregnant women. Therefore, you should choose to reduce fever moderately. Generally speaking, if the pregnant woman's body temperature is not higher than 38.5 degrees Celsius and there are no obvious symptoms of discomfort, you can consider using physical methods to help reduce fever, such as ice pillows, heat dissipation patches, warm water wiping, such as wiping the body repeatedly with a warm towel, placing ice packs in the armpits, forehead and groin, etc. wait.

2. Try not to use antipyretics. As for when to consider using medication, it varies from person to person. However, if the body temperature is above 38.5 degrees Celsius and accompanied by uncomfortable symptoms, you can consider using medication under the guidance of a doctor, otherwise it will harm the fetus.

3. It must be reiterated that the pathogen that causes fever itself is more harmful to the mother and fetus than the fever itself. Therefore, when a pregnant woman has a fever, it is important to find out the cause of the fever and prescribe the right medicine, which is more important than simply reducing the fever.

3. The harm of fever

After all, the physiological characteristics of pregnant women and fetuses are different from those of ordinary people. Therefore, when facing a fever, they should be treated differently. How should we take care of pregnant women when they have a fever to ensure the health of the mother and fetus?

Pregnant women often have a decrease in immunity after pregnancy, so they are more likely to catch colds. Many respiratory infections are caused by various viruses or bacteria. Some of these viruses, such as influenza virus, rubella virus, coxsackie virus, cytomegalovirus, etc., can infect the fetus through the mother, causing miscarriage, stillbirth, and fetal malformations in the early stages. Especially infection within the first three months of pregnancy can cause heart malformations in children and lead to congenital heart disease. Rubella virus is more harmful to the fetus. In addition to congenital heart malformations, it can also cause cataracts, deafness, microcephaly, and developmental delay in the newborn's eyes, resulting in low birth weight, which is medically known as "congenital rubella syndrome."

If a baby is infected with bacteria in the late stages of pregnancy, the newborn may develop sepsis after birth, with symptoms including fever, refusal to eat, severe jaundice, and an increase or decrease in the white blood cell count. If infected with cytomegalovirus in the middle or late stages of pregnancy, the fetus may be born with low birth weight, difficulty breathing, hepatosplenomegaly, jaundice, pneumonia, meningoencephalitis, etc.

4. Precautions in life

Women should try to avoid colds and fevers after they become pregnant, especially the first three months of pregnancy are crucial. They should stay away from people with colds and avoid crowded public places such as shopping malls, theaters, etc. If they get sick, they should see a doctor in time and use medicines that have no effect on the fetus under the doctor's knowledge.