How to treat mycoplasma infection during pregnancy

How to treat mycoplasma infection after pregnancy? Mycoplasma infection after pregnancy is a relatively rare situation. As we all know, pregnancy is a very special period. Pregnant women need to pay special attention to their bodies and pay attention to many aspects, such as their diet, work and rest, and sexual life. Mycoplasma infection after pregnancy should be treated promptly and the disease should not be delayed.

Mycoplasma is a normal flora of the female reproductive tract

So is mycoplasma really that scary? In fact, mycoplasma itself is one of the normal flora of the female reproductive tract. It was found that up to 60% of women in the healthy physical examination population could be detected with mycoplasma. It coexists with the host and does not show symptoms of infection. It only causes opportunistic infections under certain conditions. In other words, mycoplasma is a conditionally pathogenic bacterium. If the mycoplasma is in a normal carrying state, the immune system remains normal, and only mycoplasma parasitizes in the reproductive tract and does not cause adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Mycoplasma overgrowth after pregnancy

During pregnancy, the mother's reproductive tract resistance is reduced, making it easy to be invaded by a variety of pathogenic microorganisms, and reproductive tract infections often occur. For example, mycoplasma can over-reproduce, and when it reaches a certain number, it will destroy the immune balance. There is still controversy over whether mycoplasma alone can cause inflammation of the reproductive tract, and most people believe that it is a secondary infection.

Five high-risk factors for mycoplasma infection

Which pregnant mothers are prone to mycoplasma infection? Let's take a look at the high-risk factors for mycoplasma infection:

1. Women who have their first sexual intercourse at the age of less than 20 years old.

2. Those who have frequent sexual activity before pregnancy, multiple sexual partners or sexual partners infected with chlamydia.

3. Patients with other infections, especially those with gonococcal infection.

4. Those who experience vaginal bleeding after sexual intercourse.

5. Low economic status, lack of education, etc.

The harm of mycoplasma infection to mother and child

So, what effects will mycoplasma infection have on mother and child?

Before pregnancy – causes infertility

After the reproductive tract is infected with mycoplasma before pregnancy, mycoplasma ascends along the cervix and uterine body to the fallopian tube, causing local inflammatory reaction, ciliary loss and fallopian tube epithelial damage, and then causes endometritis and fallopian tube obstruction. Tubal infertility accounts for about 1/3 of female infertility. Ureaplasma urealyticum can also adsorb on the surface of sperm and hinder its movement, which is also one of the causes of infertility.

Early and mid-pregnancy - leading to miscarriage, embryo arrest, etc.

Mycoplasma infection in early and mid-pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, embryo arrest, etc. Many literatures believe that female urogenital tract infection is related to spontaneous abortion, missed abortion, ectopic pregnancy, and especially repeated spontaneous abortion. Studies have shown that mycoplasma infection directly endangers embryonic development by affecting embryo implantation and promoting the release of a large number of inflammatory mediators, thereby enhancing local immune responses. In addition, the substances it produces itself stimulate the body to synthesize the prerequisite substances for prostaglandins, which can cause uterine contractions and lead to miscarriage.

Late pregnancy – leading to premature rupture of membranes and premature birth

Infection in late pregnancy can lead to premature rupture of membranes, premature birth, etc. The reason is attributed to mycoplasma retrograde infection, which often causes infection and inflammatory response of the decidua and chorion, inflammatory cell infiltration, leukocyte infiltration, tissue edema, fibrous tissue hyperplasia, and elasticity decrease or disappearance at the infected site, resulting in increased local fragility and decreased toughness of the fetal membrane, causing premature rupture of membranes. At the same time, the inflammatory response also prompts the conversion of arachidonic acid on the fetal membrane into prostaglandins, inducing uterine contractions and leading to premature birth. In addition, severe infection can lead to fetal growth restriction or even stillbirth.

After delivery – neonatal pneumonia and jaundice

During delivery, newborns are also prone to neonatal pneumonia and pathological neonatal jaundice. Seeing this, pregnant mothers may be confused about how mycoplasma makes newborns sick? Mycoplasma mainly makes newborns sick in three ways:

1. Mycoplasma is transmitted to newborns through the birth canal and postpartum mother-to-child contact, causing neonatal pneumonia.

2. Adhere to host cells, affect the movement of cilia in the respiratory tract of newborns, and cause a large amount of inflammatory cell exudates on the mucosal surface, causing pneumonia.

3. Mycoplasma or mycoplasma-derived high-molecular-weight substances stimulate the host's immune-active cells to release various cytokines, thereby damaging organs or tissues.

Mycoplasma infection treatment

So how should pregnant women with mycoplasma infection be treated? What drugs can be used during pregnancy? Because pregnancy is a special physiological period, all systems undergo obvious adaptive changes, and the pharmacokinetics and efficacy changes of drugs in the body are significantly different from those in the non-pregnancy period. The use of antibiotics during pregnancy can indirectly affect the embryo by affecting the mother's endocrine and metabolism, and can also affect the fetus through the placental barrier. Therefore, improper use of medications may affect fetal development and even cause malformations while treating reproductive tract infections.

Treatment with antibiotics

Currently, antibiotics are the main treatment for mycoplasma infections in women, and macrolides are mainly used during pregnancy, including erythromycin, roxithromycin, azithromycin and clarithromycin. Azithromycin and erythromycin are both Class B in the pregnancy classification and are relatively safe for pregnant women.

Erythromycin is rarely used now because of its serious adverse reactions.

Clarithromycin is classified as Class C in the pregnancy drug classification and can be used, but its safety is relatively inferior to the previous two.

Roxithromycin: Its effect on the fetus is not yet clear and its use is not recommended.

Azithromycin, as a new generation of macrolide antibiotics, has a structure similar to erythromycin, but has a broader antibacterial spectrum, enhanced antibacterial activity, high intracellular concentration and long half-life, and its side effects are mainly mild gastrointestinal symptoms, which are mostly tolerable. Because of its good efficacy, few side effects, and no reports of effects on the mother and child so far, azithromycin has become the first choice of medication during pregnancy.

Recheck 3 weeks after stopping treatment

Since dead pathogens continue to be excreted within 3 weeks after the end of treatment, clinical detection using non-culture methods may still be positive. Therefore, the test should be repeated 3 weeks after stopping treatment.

Doctor's advice

Here, there are two points that need to be reminded to pregnant mothers. First, complications caused by the infection must also receive regular and effective treatment; second, sexual partners must also receive treatment at the same time.

Tips for preventing mycoplasma infection: 5 measures

1. Raise awareness and attention to the disease.

2. Delay the age of first sexual intercourse, marry and get pregnant later, keep yourself clean, and choose barrier contraceptive measures.

3. Routine testing should be performed before marriage and during the first antenatal care visit.

4. Mycoplasma subtype testing and treatment can be performed for patients with a history of recurrent miscarriage or premature birth.

Mycoplasma infection after pregnancy must be treated in time. As for how to treat it, everyone should still treat it according to their own situation and the doctor's advice. This type of disease cannot be ignored. Everyone should pay attention to how to treat mycoplasma infection after pregnancy and what issues need to be paid attention to during the treatment process.