A study is showing that severe infections in pregnancy could lead to complications at birth. Pregnancy is not an easy journey for everyone, and that is why prenatal care is so important for all women. To make sure they are monitored throughout their pregnancy and problems are caught as soon as possible. Early intervention and treatment can be the key to making sure that pregnancy infections and complications are addressed right away, and the risk of it causing complications at birth or to the baby is minimized as much as possible.

According to Medical Xpress, severe infections during pregnancy is being associated with complications when it comes time to deliver. Knowledge of what the possible risks are can help medical professionals provide the best care to their patients and their patients' baby.

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This study was done by the University of California and it can be read in full here. When it is speaking of severe infections, it is referring to sepsis. Sepsis is a very serious condition for all individuals, pregnant or not, and it typically involves a person needing to be hospitalized. If a pregnant woman is hospitalized with sepsis at any point in her pregnancy, even if the infection clears up, she may need to be monitored during childbirth.

The complications that they found linked with sepsis are the increased risk of c-section, postpartum hemorrhage, and preterm delivery. These are all linked with placental dysfunction. Even if the woman recovers from the infection, damage may have been done to her placenta which can cause the complications at birth and researchers are suggesting that these women need to be monitored closely for any of these factors. Studies like this also help a pregnant woman advocate for her health.

If she knows that severe infections during pregnancy carry these risks, she can advocate with her OBGYN and medical team on making sure that she is monitored and that precautions are taken place. Maternal sepsis is already taken seriously, as it is the second leading cause of maternal mortality in the US, however, care is focused on the woman at the time of infection. More attention may need to be done when the woman comes to deliver her baby. To complete the study, they looked at women who had a severe infection at 24.6 weeks pregnancy, and they found that the highest risk was women who had a severe infection before they hit that 24 week mark in pregnancy.

Source: Medical Xpress, JAMA Network