Influence of mother's disease on the fetus

Influence of mother's disease on the fetus

 The fetal period is the most important and vulnerable in fetal life. At this time in the embryo, his major organs and systems are formed (organogenesis). At this point, the embryo is quite vulnerable to the effects of adverse circumstances that may result in severe abnormalities. In the first 8 weeks of life, the fetus does not yet have independent functions, so its well-being depends entirely on the organism of its mother. For the fetus, the mother's body is the external environment. The child is entirely dependent on its quality.

Research carried out by scientists from different specialties confirms that the adverse influence on the baby may be due to a variety of viral and bacterial diseases of the mother as well as bad habits such as smoking, alcoholism, and drug addiction.

 Viral diseases of the mother

Rubella and measles: sometimes a mother's contact with rubella patients is enough to make the fetus ill. The disease, which in children, as a rule, proceeds easily, produces catastrophic destruction in the organism of the child if he is struck by the rubella virus in utero during the first trimester of pregnancy. Through the mother's blood, the virus penetrates the embryo.

 In this case, there is a very high probability of stillbirth or a child with developmental disabilities: cerebral lesions, heart, hearing analyzer, skin, bone, liver, spleen, and kidneys. Among the late complications can be deafness, glaucoma, microcephaly, hydrocephalus, encephalopathy (a consequence of an organic lesion of the brain), severe neurodevelopmental disability, later closing sutures and fontanelles, diabetes, and thyroid disease.

Cytomegalovirus: The causative agent belongs to the group of herpes viruses. It is also called the virus of the salivary glands since it is localized in the cells present in the body but does not manifest itself. However, the woman, a cytomegalovirus carrier, may infect the embryo or fetus through the blood and then begin the disease process, which often leads to severe lesions in the child. The baby is born before term, jaundiced, with defects of the eyes, bones, and hearing. In the future, develop deafness, blindness, cirrhosis of the liver, intestine, kidney, and others. If a person is a carrier of the pathogen, the woman must be alert for cytomegalovirus.

Herpes. Most people are carriers of the herpes virus. It makes itself felt in that moment, when the immune defense of the body is reduced for one reason or another. Herpes, however, is a highly significant injury to the developing fetus, even if it does not cause much harm to children and adults. Because the herpes virus prefers to develop in nervous tissue, a child is born, usually with damage to the central nervous system. He can fetally transfer meningoencephalitis, the consequences of which for the newborn are microcephaly, edema of the brain, blindness, impaired development, and shortening of the limbs.

Flu. If a woman becomes infected during the first trimester of pregnancy, there is a risk for the child. But if illness proceeds relatively easily, violations of the child's health are not usually observed. Only in cases of very severe flu in the mother can the baby be born with the effects of fetal infectious diseases. If a woman is getting the flu at a late stage of pregnancy. In this case, the child may be born prematurely with reduced reactivity of the organism, making it more susceptible to infectious diseases. Because of this, even a minor case of influenza in a late pregnancy should be treated seriously; call your doctor right once.

Viral hepatitis: if it is infected by viruses of type B and delta, childbirth can occur prematurely. The child will be born with intrauterine hypotrophy and hepatitis. At birth, we observed bleeding, liver enlargement, and violations of its functions. 20% of these children die in the first months after birth, 40% live up to 2 years, 40% are cured, and they grow up healthy.

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. The available data suggest that the probability of such a transmission is rather high and ranges from 30 to 50%.
Currently, all women are checked in the first months of pregnancy for the presence of HIV antibodies in the blood. In the case of a positive response when tested, women may choose abortion because of the high probability of infection of the fetus.

Bacterial diseases of the mother

Tuberculosis: If a woman is surrounded by a TB patient, it is necessary to consult a doctor. If she has TB, it must first be cured, because otherwise she will have to take antibiotics, which have ambiguous effects on the fetus. The TB process can begin or worsen during pregnancy.

Listeriosis: The causative agent of the disease is bacteria transferred to the fetus through the placenta. Contamination can occur through poorly processed meat and milk as well as contact with diseased animals. But it is possible, and secondary infection of the fetus is possible. By isolating the pathogen in the urine, it will infect the amniotic fluid, falling into his airways. There is severe fetal pneumonia. Amniotic Infection occurs when bacteria enter the uterus of the mother. For women suffering from listeriosis, children are often born with a generalized form of infection called sepsis. They have an enlarged liver and spleen, and in the first hours of life, jaundice and a rash appear on the skin. Infection of the child during childbirth can lead to future brain edema and encephalopathy.

   Syphilis. The fetus can become infected just by being born to a sick mother. The disease can occur in women not only in its acute form but also in its latent form. Treponema pallidum affects the fetus most often at 6–7 months of pregnancy. The consequence of the infection can be miscarriage or stillbirth. But the illness can strike at any age, even as young as 16 or 17. 

Early congenital syphilis affects the skin (syphilitic rash), mucous membranes, bones, pancreas, liver, and brain, and further develops brain dropsy and syphilitic rhinitis. In cases of late congenital syphilis, it primarily affects the central nervous system.

Streptococcal infection. If a pregnant woman has a chronic infection, such as tonsillitis, sinusitis, or inflammatory diseases of the urinary tract, it can cause serious damage to the fetus. A child is born with symptoms of intracranial injury, respiratory failure, observed angiostaxis, and lethargy. Often, children die soon after birth. In the dead children, there were hemorrhages in the meninges, brain tissue, and lung tissue. If the child does not die immediately, the disease progresses and affects the lungs and central nervous system.