Contents:
- Medical Video: Should You Be Getting Vaccinations While Pregnant?
- Overview of tetanus
- Too late to get the tetanus vaccine, is it safe to get tetanus injections while pregnant?
- Tetanus injections are also equally important when you are pregnant again
- Side effects of tetanus injections that may occur
Medical Video: Should You Be Getting Vaccinations While Pregnant?
Ideally, tetanus injection (TT vaccine) is obtained before pregnancy forprevent the risk of tetanus in pregnant women and infants. Tetanus is a bacterial infection that can be life threatening if left untreated. After the mother is vaccinated, the antibodies formed in your body will be passed on to the baby in the womb. This vaccine will also protect your baby for several months after birth. However, if you have not received tetanus injections during pregnancy, can you inject tetanus during pregnancy? Are there risks for fetal growth?
Overview of tetanus
Tetanus is caused by toxins from bacteria Clostridium tetani. These bacteria are found in dust inside the house, human and animal feces and rusty iron. Tetanus bacteria enter the body through open wounds.
Bacteria that cause tetanus more commonly attack deep skin wounds, such as puncture wounds, animal bite wounds, burns, cut wounds, or ulcers. But bthis can also infect small puncture wounds or small scratches on the skin.
The bacteria that enter through the wound will expel exotoxin toxins that spread through the bloodstream and lymph nodes. Exotoxins then bind to nerve cells, causing stiffness and muscle spasms. This condition is considered quite severe because it can tear the muscles, cause bone fractures, or heavy pressure on the spine.
Efforts to prevent tetanus are important because tetanus infection can affect the nervous system and can be fatal if left untreated.
Too late to get the tetanus vaccine, is it safe to get tetanus injections while pregnant?
Tetanus injections are safe for pregnant women and can prevent tetanus infection in newborns. Tetanus injections can also prevent the risk of tetanus in the mother and fetus in the womb.
In the first pregnancy, the doctor will recommend pregnant women for two tetanus injections. Most doctors give the first injection in the third trimester of pregnancy, usually at the age of seven months. The second injection is given at least four weeks after the first injection. Meanwhile, WHO also recommends giving a third injection six months after the second injection. This third injection aims to provide protection for at least the next five years.
Some doctors prefer to give three tetanus vaccine injections with a distance of four injections per week, starting at 28 weeks' gestation. There are also doctors who may give the first vaccine injection in the first trimester of pregnancy, as soon as you have tested positive for pregnancy.
Tetanus injections are also equally important when you are pregnant again
If you are pregnant again within two years after giving birth, tetanus injections will depend on your vaccine history. If in the previous pregnancy you received two doses of tetanus injections, the doctor will only recommend injections of vaccine boosters. Meanwhile, if the distance between the first pregnancy and the second is quite far, the doctor will assess your condition to determine the need for tetanus injection.
Although tetanus injections are commonly used, the Tdap vaccine (a combination of tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis vaccine) can also be an option. Tdap vaccines for people over the age of seven, including pregnant women, are actually more supported than just tetanus injections.
Side effects of tetanus injections that may occur
After getting tetanus injections, you may experience side effects like the following:
- Temporary spots at the injection site.
- Redness, swelling and pain at the injection site
In some people, tetanus injections can cause anaphylactic shock or fatal allergic reactions. However, this is a very rare side effect. Consult your obstetrician before getting tetanus injections during pregnancy, especially if you have a history of allergies.
In addition to preventing infections through vaccines, always make sure that your delivery room will be kept clean to prevent exposure to disease-causing bacteria.
