Contents:
- Medical Video: How Fever in Early Pregnancy Might Cause Heart, Facial Birth Defects
- Is fever when pregnant dangerous?
- How can a fever during pregnancy cause a miscarriage?
- What are the causes of fever during pregnancy?
- 1. Viral and bacterial infections
- 2. Temperature changes
- 3. Lack of folic acid
Medical Video: How Fever in Early Pregnancy Might Cause Heart, Facial Birth Defects
Fever is often considered to be a common disease that often occurs. However, this turns out to be different when you are pregnant. Fever during pregnancy can indicate a serious problem that you need to pay attention to.
Is fever when pregnant dangerous?
Fever is a condition of body temperature above normal (normal temperature of 36.5-37.5 degrees Celsius). Fever is a symptom of an illness, meaning fever is caused by a factor as a body's defense mechanism. This usually occurs because of inflammation or attacks by viruses, bacteria or others.
Fever during pregnancy is one of the danger signs in pregnancy. Mothers can say fever, if the body heat of pregnant women reaches more than 38 degrees Celsius. This high fever can be a symptom of infection in pregnancy.
Because it is one of the danger signs of pregnancy, fever in pregnant women must immediately get treatment. Why? Because the worst thing when a fever during pregnancy can cause a miscarriage.
How can a fever during pregnancy cause a miscarriage?
According to several studies, one of which was conducted by Johns Hopkins University, hypertermia or body temperature that is too 'hot' can cause miscarriages and increase the risk of damage to the nerve tube in the fetus so that the fetus does not develop and experience a miscarriage.
The neural tube is an embryonic structure that eventually develops into the brain, the baby's spinal cord and the accompanying tissue. Nerve tubes usually form early in pregnancy and close on the 28th day after fertilization.
Fever during pregnancy can cause nerve tube damage or also called spina bifida. Fever during pregnancy can also affect child development problems, a study conducted by the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorder found an association between fever during pregnancy which increases the risk of autism in children.
What are the causes of fever during pregnancy?
Viral and bacterial infections are the most common cause of fever. Viral infections are more dangerous than bacterial infections because viruses can cause a greater risk of disability and fetuses who die in the womb. However, that does not mean bacterial infections can be ignored. Both of them remain equally dangerous.
1. Viral and bacterial infections
In cases of infection by the TORCH virus (toxoplasma, rubella, cytomegalovirus, and herpes) can cause abnormalities of the brain, heart, vision, hearing, and abnormalities of body structure. While urinary tract infections and venereal disease caused by bacteria can spread to the womb directly or through blood circulation.
In addition, urinary tract infections caused by bacteria e.coli, p.mirabilis, streptococcus, and staphylococcus saprophyticus or venereal disease by chlamydia trachomatis bacteria, neisseria gonorrhoeae, gardnerella vaginalis can spread to the womb directly or through blood circulation. It can also spread up to the womb directly or through blood circulation. If not treated properly can cause miscarriage or premature birth.
2. Temperature changes
A study says that the body temperature of pregnant women who change or increase too early at the onset of pregnancy will risk causing a fetus to be born with a defect such as not optimal brain development or a slow developing spine (neural tube defect).
Spina bifida and anencephalus is a type of neural tube defect (NTD) that is often encountered. Spina bifida is a condition in which the spinal column is not completely closed. Most of these events can last until they grow up.
3. Lack of folic acid
While the incidence of anencephalus (skull bones that do not close perfectly) is generally found to die after the baby is born. Besides being caused by body temperature, NTD is also caused by mothers who lack folic acid supplements during pregnancy and inhaling too much cigarette smoke.
Fever during pregnancy should not be underestimated, especially if the body temperature of pregnant women reaches more than 38 degrees Celsius. Immediately consult this to the doctor.
