What to do if a pregnant woman has diarrhea

Because the hormone levels in pregnant women change, the peristalsis of the uterus weakens, so the body is relatively fragile at this time, and it is easy to be stimulated by the outside world and cause diarrhea, which has a great impact on the baby. So what should pregnant women do if they have diarrhea?

1. The first thing is to replenish fluids appropriately to make up for the water and electrolytes lost due to diarrhea, especially potassium ions, and to replenish the calories lost due to diarrhea. At the same time, closely observe the fetal condition and whether there are any signs of premature birth or miscarriage.

2. Pay special attention when taking medication. Pregnant women should be particularly careful when using antibiotics. Many commonly used antibiotics and antiprotozoal drugs, in addition to adverse reactions, have potential teratogenic potential and should not be used. Some milder antidiarrheal agents can absorb water and reduce intestinal motility and can be tried. Do not use opioids to stop diarrhea, because these drugs may cause bacterial overgrowth and repeated infections, which will aggravate diarrhea.

3. Pregnant women with diarrhea who are about to give birth should be isolated at the bedside according to intestinal infectious diseases to ensure the safety of the baby and other mothers.

4. Pregnant women suffering from diarrhea can generally resume normal bowel movements after 24-96 hours. If treatment is ineffective, fecal bacteriological culture and drug sensitivity testing should be performed, as well as intestinal protozoa and parasite examinations. Fiberoptic sigmoidoscopy should be performed cautiously when necessary to exclude inflammatory bowel disease.

5. If a pregnant woman with diarrhea has an abnormal fetus, she should go to the hospital in time to prevent the disease from becoming serious and leading to miscarriage or premature birth.