Having Listeriosis During Pregnancy

Pregnant and down with Listeriosis? You might have contacted a severe an infection which will trigger being pregnant problems. What precisely is Listeriosis? Find out extra about it now!

What is Listeriosis?

Listeriosis is a bacterial an infection generally attributable to the consumption of meals that has been contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, a foodborne disease-causing micro organism. This might be extraordinarily life-threatening for pregnant ladies as it may be deadly to foetuses and infants.

The danger of an infection is elevated with improper meals dealing with, preparation and storage of meats and unpasteurised milk.

How can Listeriosis have an effect on me and my child?

Most pregnant ladies don’t present a lot signs nor really feel sick. On high of that, the signs can take a number of days or as much as weeks to seem. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention within the United States, pregnant ladies are extra vulnerable to get contaminated with Listeriosis by about 10 folds as in comparison with a wholesome grownup.

Generally, the an infection might be handed on from mom to toddler with none data. Although Listeriosis is not going to essentially trigger your well being to deteriorate, it might probably nonetheless has devastating results in your child if the therapy is delayed.

It impacts foetuses whatever the stage of your being pregnant as publicity within the womb will lead to an infection. For the primary trimester of being pregnant, Listeriosis can result in miscarriage, untimely delivery and even, stillbirth. After the primary trimester, foetuses have an exponentially larger danger of creating well being issues like psychological retardation, paralysis, seizures and even blindness. Babies that survive turns into severely sick and typically expertise pneumonia or meningitis.

How will I do know if I’ve Listeriosis?

The signs of Listeriosis are sometimes delicate or none in any respect. It might even be confused for flu at occasions as related signs like fever, chills, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea are typically noticed. However there could also be extreme signs like headache, stiff neck, confusion, dizziness and even convulsions.

That being mentioned, Listeriosis throughout being pregnant will not be widespread in any respect. Although the danger for pregnant ladies is larger, it’s not untreatable. It is very beneficial to contact your doctor instantly ought to any of the signs happen.

How is Listeriosis handled or managed?

Most usually, Listerosis is handled and managed by way of IV antibiotics. Prompt therapy with antibiotics are normally very profitable in treating Listerosis. Subsequently, ultrasounds are carried out to examine on the toddler’s development.

What can moms do to keep away from getting affected?

To forestall Listeriosis and keep away from an infection, it’s best to keep away from meals that may probably trigger Listeriosis as the most typical trigger is because of consumption of meals contaminated with this micro organism.

The record of meals that could be very vulnerable to the Listeriosis micro organism are as observe:

• Unpasteurised diary
• Improper dealing with of meats

It is crucial to take notice that whenever you eat meals at house, all meat, poultry and seafood are cooked completely. Leftovers have to be reheated completely as effectively. Generally, it’s best that pregnant ladies keep away from deli meals, unpasteurised milk and any able to eat meals that may doubtlessly be contaminated.

It can also be essential to do not forget that though a fridge is useful in preserving your meals, it doesn’t essentially forestall the expansion of micro organism. Therefore, it’s best to warmth your leftovers and able to eat meals completely and think about cleansing your fridge often.

Written by Dr Ting Hua Sieng
Obstetrics & Gynaecology specialist

Practice Address:

The Obstetrics & Gynaecology Centre (TOGC)
290 Orchard Road #16-07/08 Paragon
Singapore 238859