The arrival of spring and summer warmth pushes many of us to spend more time outdoors and make travel plans, either for a month of honeymoon, babymoon, or for another seasonal getaway. This was the case with Yesenia, who contacted Mothertobaby with questions about her upcoming summer vacation after discovering she was pregnant. Yesenia knew that warmer temperatures comes an increased chance of mosquito bites and the infections they could carry. Like Yesenia, as you deal with more outdoor activity and planning a escape time, you may also have questions about exposure to these infections and their potential impact on a pregnancy. Understanding the potential risks of these diseases and ways of protecting yourself can help you make better updated decisions before deciding to travel. This month, Mothertobaby is turning to our partner The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) to help answer some of the yesenia’s questions:
What are the carriers and diseases transmitted by a carrier?
Bodies are living organisms, such as mosquitoes, ticks, flies or fleas, which are capable of spreading diseases to humans through bites and other forms of contact. Some common examples of these diseases, called carrier -transmitted diseases, include chikungunya, dengue, malaria, oropouche and zika virus. While insects that carry diseases can bite all year round, they are more active during hot weather. Many diseases transmitted by a carrier have no treatment and treatment is usually limited to simple symptoms management. That is why it is important to protect yourself from bites!
How can diseases due to a carrier affect a pregnancy?
There may be serious health complications for the mother with some infections transmitted by a carrier during pregnancy, such as severe anemia, bleeding and need for hospitalization. If the mother develops serious complications, it increases the likelihood of problems for the baby, such as low birth weight, premature delivery or mortality. Some diseases transmitted by a carrier can pass from mother to baby during pregnancy, which can lead to serious genetic abnormalities, such as microcephaly (a condition where the head is less than normal), other structural defects of the brain and eye and eye For more information, see The Mothertobaby Fact Sheets on Dengue, Malaria, Oropouche, and Zika. CDC also has information for chikungunya and others Diseases transmitted by carrier.
I am pregnant and planning to travel. How can I protect myself?
Here are some quick tips:
- If you are traveling, check CDC Travel Health Notifications (THN) Page before booking your trip. Avoid unnecessary trips to high -risk areas starting with a level of 2 or higher advisory to the THN Council.
- Use it Rapid Information Portal for Traveler Health for proposals related to the destination, such as vaccines to prevent the journey -related disease.
- Wear the shirts with long sleeves and long pants when you spend time outdoors.
- Apply the Environmental Protection Service (EPA) registered insect repulsives on exposed skin and clothes.
- Avoid outdoor activity during dawn and dawn when mosquitoes are more active.
- Minimize exposure to light water sources, such as swimming pools and lakes, which are breeding areas for carriers.
- Keep windows and doors closed or use fans, mosquito nets and eye screens in windows and doors.
- Use it Health Guide to CDC Pregnant Traveler For other general travel tips.
Which insect repellents are registered EPA? And is it safe for me during pregnancy?
EPA insect repellents include:
- N, N-DIATHY-META-META-TRAFAMIDI (DEET)
- Picaridine
- IR3535
- Lemon oil
- Para-Enthene-Diol
SO has studied these insect repellents for efficiency and safety profile. When used according to the instructions on the product label, there is no evidence to suggest that these insect repellents increase the likelihood of genetic abnormalities or other pregnancy -related complications. For additional information, see Mothertobaby’s report on insect repellents.
Are there any alternative insect repellents that I can use?
Other basic oil repulsive insect products, including disposable bracelets and patches, are often advertised as safer alternatives for EPA products, but there is no scientific evidence that they and your baby effectively protect you and your baby insects. In addition, essential oils in these products, such as mint, Citronella and lemon, are not regulated by EPA as pesticides. It is best to move away from these products in favor of EPA -registered insects.
I have read for “pest cleaning”. Do they work on carrier -transmitted diseases?
Pests are living organisms that live in or within a host and can cause damage to tissue destruction or activating severe immunocommal. Diseases due to a carrier are different from parasitic infections. But you may have seen the positions of the social media that cleanse the parasites at home that claim to “detoxify the body” and “kill parasites” and wonder if they could help prevent these diseases. The answer is determined “no”.
These cleaners, which contain a mixture of herbs, have no proven efficiency file (doing what the label claims) or security (that they will not cause unwanted symptoms)Especially for use during pregnancy. Although many of these products claim to target a wide range of pests, they can have dangerous and unknown side effects for you and your baby.
Parasitic and diseases transmitted by carrier are serious conditions that require appropriate medical care. Cannot be treated by these products. If you suspect you have a parasitic infection – or any other serious illness – it is important to talk to a doctor as soon as possible, especially during pregnancy.
The bottom line
So what are SMFM’s tips to Yesenia for her upcoming trip? The bottom line to protect it this spring and summer from diseases transmitted by the carrier: Stay away from higher risk areas, glue with proven, safe repellents recommended by EPA and come into contact with the healthcare provider if it has any questions. Safe trips to Yesenia and you!
More on visitor co-authors from SMFM
Naima T. Joseph, MD; He is Vice-Chairman of the Company Company for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) for infectious diseases and emerging threats. Dr. Joseph is in charge of MFM in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Boston Medical Center and Assistant Professor at the University of Boston School of Medicine.
Salvador She is a practitioner in the company for medical mother-Fetallic medicine and student Master of Public Health (MPH) at George Washington University. He is interested in health policy, mother and children’s health and epidemiology and hopes to pursue a Doctor of Public Health (DRP) degree in the future. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and playing with her two parrots.
