Transcript Advocating for Your Unborn Child during Pregnancy and Beyond

Advocating for Your Unborn Child
During Pregnancy and Beyond~
Know how to help
protect
your baby
from infection!
This presentation is for informational purposes only
and does not constitute medical advice.
Some people think it’s best to keep
“scary” thoughts from pregnant women
but
knowledge can empower you to be
your baby’s best advocate!
It’s important for pregnant women to know that
some germs they may carry
can cause their baby to…
•
die during pregnancy (miscarriage/stillbirth) even before their water breaks
•
be born prematurely because germs caused their water to
break and/or labor to begin too soon
•
become very sick and even die after being born
•
have permanent handicaps such as blindness, deafness, mental
challenges, and cerebral palsy
So how does that
knowledge empower me?
Is there anything I can do
to help protect my baby?
That knowledge can empower you
to become aware of the many ways
you can help protect your baby from infection
and
become a better advocate
for your baby’s health!
Offer your care providers a checklist early in pregnancy to
help protect your baby from infection and be aware that…
Bacteria in your urine can mean that you are
heavily colonized which can put your baby
at a greater risk for infection
 Make sure your urine is cultured* for GBS and other bacteria during at
least your first prenatal visit.
*This is not the standard urine dipstick test done at most visits!
 If significant bacteria is found in your urine, you should receive
appropriate treatment…and then ask for a “test of cure.”
 Request follow-up urine cultures if your urine has tested positive.
And….
 If you have a positive urine culture for GBS, consider yourself GBS positive
for the rest of your pregnancy and know that you should receive IV antibiotics
for GBS when labor starts or your water breaks.
 Get copies of your lab test results and keep them in your purse/wallet!
If you have a vaginal infection,
your baby can be infected before and during birth
 See your care provider promptly for any symptoms of vaginal infection!
 Make sure you are evaluated – not all problems “down there” are
due to a yeast infection even though symptoms may be similar.
 Follow through with prescribed treatment and request a “test of cure”
about three weeks afterwards.
You can also….
 Consult with your provider first before you check your
vaginal pH during pregnancy. Routine weekly vaginal pH
testing can help detect early symptoms of infection so you
can follow up with your provider.
 Be aware that bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms
can be passed back and forth between sexual partners. Do
not have a new sexual partner during pregnancy.
Prenatal testing can help you and your care
providers be proactive in your baby’s health
 Make sure you have the appropriate testing done including testing for
GBS during your 35th-37th week of pregnancy. Talk with your care
provider about being tested for STI’s, hepatitis B, and HIV.
 Request copies of all test results and keep them with you so they are
available when you arrive at the hospital in case their records are not
current.
 If you have cultured positive for GBS, make sure that you receive IV
antibiotics for GBS as soon as possible once labor starts or your water
breaks.
 Be aware that alternative remedies have not been proven to be
effective against GBS. Some remedies can even be unsafe.
 Be aware that GBS can come and go in your body so you may
test negative during pregnancy, but be positive during labor and
delivery. A few hospitals offer rapid, DNA-based tests which can
be performed during labor or any time during pregnancy with results
in less than 2 hours. Because your GBS status can change by the
time you go into labor, culture tests can show a false negative, or your
culture test results may not be available, these rapid tests can help
supplement your routine GBS testing.
Invasive procedures can move germs
closer to your baby -- even past a mucous plug
and through intact membranes
 Avoid unnecessary internal exams. Internal exams can tell how far you are
dilated, but do not accurately predict when your baby will be born.
 Talk to your care provider about the benefits vs. risks of methods of induction.
Applying cervical ripening gel and “stripping membranes” can push bacteria
closer to your baby.
 Be aware that during an internal exam care providers may elect to strip your
membranes without any forewarning! Some experts suggest CONSENT be
obtained before membrane stripping especially when GBS +.
 Ask your care provider about the benefits vs. risks of internal
fetal monitors as the puncture it causes on your baby’s scalp
may be a point of entry for infection. (The IV antibiotics you
receive in labor for GBS generally take 4 hours to be effective.)
Know the signs of infection in your baby
during pregnancy…
 Decreased or no fetal movement after your 20th week of pregnancy – this is
why kick counting is so important!
 (Be aware that hyperactive or frenetic movement can be a sign of distress.
Example: your baby becoming entangled in his/her cord)
 You have any unexplained fever.
Contact your care provider immediately
if you notice any of the above!
Babies have underdeveloped immune systems so
while you are pregnant…
 Wash your hands thoroughly after taking care of young children
who can carry germs such as CMV even without appearing sick.
 Avoid kissing young children on or around the mouth as they can carry
CMV and other germs.
 Have someone else change your cat’s litter box to avoid toxoplasmosis germs
which can harm your baby. Wear gloves when gardening!
 Handle food properly and don’t consume any unpasteurized food products,
soft cheeses, or undercooked poultry or meat to avoid listeria and other germs.
and after your baby is born…
 Have everyone (including the hospital staff!) wash their hands
before touching your baby.
 Be especially cautious so that your baby does not come into contact
with any germs from cold sores (herpes).
 BREASTFEEDING IS ESSENTIAL FOR PASSING ANTIBODIES
TO YOUR BABY. (Breast milk is BRAIN and IMMUNITY food!)
Your baby’s body and placenta can give
important clues to his/her health
 Ask about immediate placental examination in the delivery room.
Examination of the placenta immediately after delivery may offer clues to help
your new baby, you, or your future babies and offer valuable insight as to
your baby’s environment before birth.
 Ask for pathology testing/autopsy if your baby dies. Testing may reveal clues
not only for your own closure, but to help your future babies be born and stay
healthy!
Be able to recognize symptoms of infection in your
baby for immediate medical intervention
 High-pitched cry, shrill moaning,
whimpering
 Marked irritability, inconsolable
crying
 Constant grunting as if
constipated
 Projectile vomiting
 Feeds poorly or refuses to eat
 Sleeping too much, not waking for
feedings, difficulty being aroused
 High or low or unstable
temperature; hands and feet may
still feel cold even with a fever
 Blotchy, red, or tender skin
 Blue, gray, or pale skin due to lack
of oxygen
 Fast, slow, or difficult breathing
 Body stiffening, uncontrollable
jerking
 Listless, floppy, or not moving an
arm or leg
 Tense or bulgy spot on top of head
 Blank stare
 Infection at base of umbilical cord
or in puncture on head from
internal fetal monitor
Knowing how you can help
protect your baby from infection,
making a checklist ✔, and
partnering with your care providers to advocate
for your baby’s health...
…can help you have a…
For more information on Group B Strep
and prenatal infection prevention
please visit www.groupbstrepinternational.org.
Please note: This presentation contains only a partial list
of the many ways to help prevent infection in your baby
so as always seek advice from your care provider.
This presentation is for informational purposes only
and does constitute medical advice.