Effects of viral infection in pregnant women on the fetus

Nowadays, the incidence of viral infection in pregnant women is gradually increasing. Viral infection in pregnant women is one of the causes of fetal malformations, so you must pay attention to it during pregnancy. Many pregnant mothers hope that they can give birth to a healthy baby. Here we will introduce the impact of viral infection in pregnant women on the fetus.

If a pregnant woman is infected with cytomegalovirus, it can cause serious harm to the fetus. Generally speaking, the fetal infection rate is highest in the first three months of pregnancy.

Infection with cytomegalovirus in early pregnancy can cause a variety of congenital malformations in the fetus or miscarriage. For example, it may cause mental retardation, microcephaly, microears, optic nerve atrophy, and chorioretinitis in the fetus. In severe cases, it can cause miscarriage, premature birth, stillbirth, or the fetus may be born with low birth weight.

In case of CMV infection during the second trimester, the virus mainly infects the fetus through the placenta, or the virus contaminates the amniotic fluid through the fetal membrane. The contaminated amniotic fluid will be swallowed by the fetus, causing the fetus to be infected.

In the later stages of pregnancy, due to hormonal changes in the pregnant woman's body, a large number of cytomegaloviruses can be activated, and some viral cells can excrete cytomegaloviruses from the cervical canal. During delivery, the fetus can pass through the soft birth canal and come into contact with or swallow cervical secretions and blood containing the virus and become infected.

If the fetus or newborn is infected with cytomegalovirus, hepatosplenomegaly, jaundice, thrombocytopenia, or petechiae, chorioretinitis, and encephalitis body calcification may occur. Latent symptoms usually appear within 1 to several days after birth and can also cause deafness, mental and physical developmental delays.

The above is an introduction to the impact of viral infection in pregnant women on the fetus. I believe friends should have a clear understanding of it. What we need to remind you here is: pregnant mothers must pay more attention to dietary hygiene, and remember to drink more water to help excrete toxins from the body. It is best to avoid eating spicy and irritating foods to avoid causing great harm to their health.