There are several diseases that can be transmitted from the mother to the baby during pregnancy and breastfeeding, such as syphilis, HIV, toxoplasmosis, rubella, among others.
During the gestation, transmission may occur due to placental permeability to these infectious agents depending on the trimester of pregnancy, the type of infectious agent and the mother's immune status. THE transmission of diseases through breastfeeding is less common, but may occur.
Some diseases that can be transmitted from the mother to the baby during pregnancy:
- Rubella: If it is acquired by the mother in the first trimester of pregnancy, the fetus runs serious risks of malformations that can cause deafness, delayed intrauterine growth, heart and eye problems. There is also a high risk of miscarriage and premature birth. If the pregnant woman has never had the disease, she should avoid contact with infected people. If you have already contracted, you should conduct tests to detect the presence of the virus. If you do, there should be more rigorous medical follow-up;
- Syphilis: Caused by bacteria, can cause fetal malformations such as deafness, hydrocephalus, abnormalities in the teeth and bones, and increase the risk of preterm delivery or abortion. About 40% of infected fetuses still die in the womb. Even in newborns, in 40% of cases the baby's health is seriously impaired, to the point of death;
- Toxoplasmosis: The disease is acquired by eating undercooked meat, raw eggs, poorly washed fruits and vegetables, and unpasteurized or boiled milk contaminated with the parasite that is present in cat feces. There is a 40% chance of the mother infecting the baby, which can cause problems in the heart, brain, eyes, liver and fetal development. In the long run, the baby may have mental retardation, deafness and blindness;
- HIV: The risk of a mother carrying the AIDS virus infecting the baby during pregnancy is 25%. However, with the use of antiviral drugs and medical follow-up, this risk drops to 1%;
- Lupus: Positive autoantibodies (anti-Ro and anti-La) can pass through the placenta and lead to changes in the heart or skin of the fetus, but that does not mean that the baby will have the disease. Both skin lesions and antibodies will disappear, but lesions in the heart are definitive. There are, however, good chances these children will develop the disease in adulthood;
- HPV: Infection with the human papillomavirus can be transmitted to the baby during childbirth, which can lead to kidney defects in the abdominal wall and the insertion of the umbilical cord, as well as a cleft lip;
- Hepatitis B: The presence of the virus in the body of the pregnant woman represents a 50% risk of transmission to the fetus. The mother can also transmit the hepatitis B virus to the baby during birth. The disease causes chronic inflammation of the liver and favors premature births;
- Herpes: It affects the skin, eyes and mouth in most cases. If it is not properly treated within the first week, the condition worsens and may compromise the brain, muscles, liver and blood, and impairs breathing, increasing the risk of death.
At diseases that can be transmitted from the mother to the baby during breastfeeding are:
- HIV;
- HTLV-1 and HTLV-2: HIV Family Viruses. HTLV-1 is associated with leukemia, tropical spastic paraparesis (neurological disease) and some rare inflammatory manifestations. It is likely that HTLV-2 infection does not cause disease (see also: What is HTLV - does it mean I have AIDS?);
- Cytomegalovirus: Babies become immune to the disease with the passage of maternal antibodies and most cases are benign, so breastfeeding is not usually contraindicated. However, breastfeeding may be temporarily suspended when the mother develops cytomegalovirus mononucleosis syndrome and the child has risk factors for developing severe forms of the disease;
- Varicella-zoster virus: Causes of chickenpox and herpes zoster (reactivation of the first infection). Mothers who need hospitalization should be kept in isolation until all lesions have turned into crusts and breastfeeding should be avoided;
- Measles: Patients with measles should be kept in isolation until 7 days after the onset of the rash and breastfeeding should be discontinued during this period.
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Each of these diseases has a specific treatment. In general, there are basic procedures that help to prevent or treat them in a timely manner if followed correctly.
The first of these procedures is for the woman to consult a gynecologist as soon as you know of pregnancy and follow up by the 9th month.
The second thing to do is perform the prenatal, as it prevents certain diseases and abnormalities in pregnancy and also helps to reduce infant and maternal mortality rates.
