Chickenpox in pregnancy: what are the risks for the fetus?
Contracting chickenpox in pregnancy can happen, even if, as we well know, it is a disease that after healing leaves a "permanent immunity. It is not a serious pathology and does not cause particular problems to the patient. But what if the infection Do you contract for the first time just when you find out you are pregnant? Let's dig into the matter, but first here's a helpful video for you with the things not to do in pregnancy.
Chickenpox in pregnancy: how to take it?
To get chickenpox during pregnancy you have to come into contact with infected people. The virus spreads through the respiratory tract, so contagion is very easy and almost inevitable. Just proximity in the same environment is enough to become infected. There is also "another much rarer form of contagion, called indirect transmission: in this case it may be another child who comes into contact with a peer who has chickenpox and becomes a carrier of the virus. We also want to remember that chickenpox does not occur. takes through an object that has been touched by a sick person, useful myth to dispel. Chickenpox has an incubation phase of 15-21 days and remains contagious up to 1-2 days before the blisters appear, until all the blisters they have not dried and turned into scabs.
See also
Chickenpox in pregnancy: the risks in the first trimester
First of all we want to emphasize that if the mother gets chickenpox, the virus does not necessarily reach the fetus: this probability exists, but it is rather low. In the event that the baby you are carrying is also infected with the chickenpox virus, it is useful to consider what period of gestation you are in. The biggest problems can occur if you get chickenpox during pregnancy in the first trimester, when the organs of the embryo are still forming: if the baby also becomes infected, there is a 7% chance that at birth he will experience the so-called congenital varicella syndrome, characterized by skin lesions with scars, muscle atrophy, smaller fingers and short compared to normal, or brain injuries such as encephalitis, which can cause mental retardation.
In severe cases of chickenpox infection, miscarriage can occur.
Chickenpox in pregnancy in the second or third trimester
If the chickenpox infection in pregnancy occurs in the second and third trimester, the consequences are minor and diminish more and more as gestation progresses. The risks could increase in the last few weeks and if you contract chickenpox there are three possible scenarios. Let's see what they are.
When the disease is caught up to 21 days before delivery, the mother has time to pass her antibodies to the fetus, but in general the probability of the virus passing into the placenta is low. Based on when the contagion occurred, the child could recover before birth or manifest chickenpox after birth, but even in this second hypothesis the disease almost always has a favorable course.
If the mother gives birth during the incubation of the disease, the baby will be born healthy, but will risk contagion in the following days. In this case, the bacterial load will be lower because the virus was not transmitted through the placenta but through the respiratory route. case within 48 hours of birth the baby will be injected immunoglobulins specific against the chickenpox virus, which will help the newborn's immature immune system to get rid of the disease. Only at a later stage it may be necessary to administer some antiviral drugs to the baby, in order to eradicate the virus definitively.
The worst hypothesis occurs when the infection occurs in the 18-20 days before the date of birth, because in this case the baby would be born when the first symptoms begin and the bacterial load is very high. It all stems from the fact that at this moment the mother has not yet had the opportunity to transmit her antibodies to the fetus and at the time of birth the baby has not yet developed a strong immune system to fight the disease. What should be done in this case? The mother should try to trace the moment in which she came into contact with the virus, and then evaluate together with her gynecologist whether to anticipate or try to delay the birth by a few days so as not to make it coincide with the most critical days.
How to cure chickenpox in pregnancy?
If you contracted chickenpox during pregnancy, try not to panic first. It is good to know that the mother does not run any particular risks. In general, however, the symptoms can be very annoying and important: the body of the pregnant woman is already involved in the development of the fetus, so the immune system may also be less ready. to eradicate a virus such as chickenpox. To ease the course of the disease and reduce the risk of transmission to the child, immunoglobulins can be administered, but always within 72 hours of exposure to the infection.
The viral drugs that are the classics administered to children and adults in case of chickenpox, are not recommended during pregnancy because their use is not considered safe.
How to prevent chickenpox infection in pregnancy
If you are trying to become a mother and have never had chickenpox, then you might consider getting the vaccine, the only effective weapon to prevent chickenpox infection in pregnancy. Vaccination is an absolutely safe preparation, ask your doctor for a consultation. for more information In case you are sure you have never contracted the virus, at least 3 months before conception you can schedule the vaccination, in this way you can be absolutely calm and enjoy the pregnancy in all serenity.
In some cases the disease proceeds without particular symptoms, and often many subjects do not know they have had it. In case of doubt, before getting the vaccine it will be enough to do some simple blood tests to check the dose of antibodies related to the virus (Varicella-Zoster) and only afterwards, if the result is negative, proceed with the vaccination.
Herpes Zoster and Chickenpox in Pregnancy
Herpes Zoster and Chickenpox are very serious viral infections and should never be underestimated. If we take chickenpox for example, once it enters the body, the virus remains silent in the spinal cord. If in particular situations there is a reduction in the immune defenses (weakened organism, stress, etc.), the virus can reactivate, manifesting itself with redness in the skin and blisters, which cause burning and more or less intense pain. In these cases we speak of herpes Zoster, also called St. Anthony's Fire. Since it is the same chickenpox virus, it can therefore also be infected by a patient suffering from herpes Zoster, but the transmission in this case will be much more difficult because it can only take place by contact with the liquid secreted by the blisters and not by respiratory route. A pregnant woman, therefore, must also pay more attention to those who manifest the typical signs of Herpes Zoster.
