- Pregnancy and asthma
- What can you eat while pregnant? [TOWIDEO]
- Pregnancy and diabetes
- Pregnancy and epilepsy
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Asthma, epilepsy and diabetes are diseases that previously prevented many women from getting pregnant and having a baby. Today it is possible, and children of the chronically ill are usually born quite he althy. Such pregnancies are classified as high-risk pregnancies and need to be monitored intensively - visit your doctor frequently and perform the necessary tests.
Asthma ,diabetesorepilepsydoes not mean that pregnancy and giving birth to a he althy child will remain in the sphere of dreams of a chronically ill mother. It is true thatpregnancy in chronically ill womenis a high-risk pregnancy and requires special supervision - both by the gynecologist and the doctor treating the disease, but in the vast majority of cases it ends in the birth of a he althy offspring. The main thing here is two things: the pregnancy should be planned, and the woman must be under the care of a good specialist and strictly follow his recommendations. How does pregnancy affect the disease and vice versa - do the disease and medicationsaffect the child's development ? What doeschildbirthlook like then? We respond to these and other doubts of future mothers.
Pregnancy and asthma
Asthmais a chronic inflammatory disease that can lead to bronchoconstriction. Its characteristic symptoms are: shortness of breath, difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, wheezing while breathing, paroxysmal tiring cough. The symptoms may vary in severity and symptoms. Asthma is treated pharmacologically. The sick person must be under the care of a pneumonologist.
- Pregnancy with asthma
Pregnancy has very different effects on asthma - 1/3 of women improve and have milder symptoms, 1/3 have no significant changes, and 1/3 of expectant mothers with asthma experience deterioration (usually in the third trimester) . During pregnancy, treatment is continued or modified - the doctor recommends drugs suitable for pregnant women, reduces their doses, or changes the form of the drug (inhaled drugs are usually safer for the child than oral drugs). In rare cases, it is necessary to administer steroids (in the smallest possible dose).
During pregnancy, breathing difficulties may be greater and more susceptible to infections than in he althy women. An asthma attack can also cause early uterine contractions, but these usually stop when the attack is over. Note: if yours doesn't help you during the attackmedication, see your doctor as soon as possible. Attacks will be less frequent if you avoid allergens: pollen, dust, mold, cigarette smoke, cleaning products and even perfumes. As you are more prone to infections, you should also do your best to avoid catching a cold, flu or other respiratory infections.
- Childbirth when you have asthma
Relapses of asthma during childbirth are very rare and, unless otherwise contraindicated, you can give birth to nature. In the event of surgical termination of labor, you will receive regional anesthesia (e.g. epidural), because general anesthesia is inadvisable in your case. Preterm labor may occur if your asthma symptoms worsen towards the end of your pregnancy.
- Mom's child with asthma
Usually born he althy, occasionally rapid breathing may occur, but this is a temporary state. It is possible and even advisable (due to the tendency to allergies) to breastfeed as long as possible.
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Pregnancy and diabetes
Diabetes mellitus is a disease caused by insufficiency of insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas and needed for the body to absorb glucose. Lack of or insufficient insulin results in high blood glucose levels. Diabetes cannot be cured, but can be controlled with diet and medication.
- Pregnancy
Nowadays, thanks to the availability of home glucose measuring and insulin dispensing devices, it is much easier to monitor blood glucose levels, the quality of diabetes treatment. This allows to reduce the incidence of complications caused by it during pregnancy. With perfect glycemic control, the chances of delivering a pregnancy and giving birth to a he althy baby are similar to those in a physiological pregnancy. The key to success is having the right level of glucose in your blood before conception and maintaining it throughout your pregnancy. Therefore, you should plan it, so that your diabetologist can properly set the diet and possible treatment before conception. Your doctor may also recommend moderate exercise (walking, swimming).
In mild diabetes, diet and exercise are enough to stabilize your blood sugar levels, and if that doesn't work, you need to take insulin, which is harmless to the fetus. Its doses may change as pregnancy progresses, so it is very important to check your blood glucose levels frequently. If the symptoms of the disease happenincrease, it may be necessary to stay in the hospital and regulate the sugar level under the supervision of doctors.
In general, pregnancy with diabetes requires more frequent control and additional tests: urine, blood (to assess kidney function), and the condition of the retina. The problems with the retina and the kidneys can worsen, but after giving birth, they usually return to the pre-pregnancy state. The condition of the fetus is also examined more often, because the risk of so-called macrosomia when the child is disproportionately large.
- Childbirth
The baby is often too big to give birth to natural forces; then a caesarean section is performed. When this is not the case, they can be born normally. Childbirth usually occurs earlier (around week 39) because the condition of the placenta deteriorates faster.
- Child
Usually he althy is born, only of considerable size, with a minimal percentage of more serious developmental defects. The baby can be breastfed.
Pregnancy and epilepsy
Epilepsy is a neurological disease associated with the occurrence of seizures of varying severity - from mild, imperceptible to the environment, to severe, with loss of consciousness. A woman with epilepsy can give birth to a he althy baby, but she must plan the pregnancy. About 6 months before the planned conception, you must tell your neurologist about this intention so that he can adjust the treatment to minimize its impact on the baby. Typically, the doctor selects one drug, prescribing the lowest effective dose. It is also important to start taking folic acid at that time, which reduces the risk of developing nervous system and heart defects.
- Pregnancy
Pregnancy does not worsen he alth if the expectant mother regularly takes the prescribed medications, and in approx. 20% female attacks happen even less frequently. On the other hand, discontinuation of medication without consulting a doctor may cause more frequent seizures, especially since it is also influenced by higher estrogen levels. During pregnancy, seizures can be dangerous - they increase the risk of mechanical trauma to the mother's abdomen, may cause intrauterine hypoxia of the fetus or even premature separation of the placenta (as a result of mechanical trauma to the abdomen).
Pregnancy in women with epilepsy is also associated with a slightly higher risk of fetal malformations; these are the most common defects of the nervous system and the heart. Probably, however, this is not the result of seizures, but the effects of some antiepileptic drugs, which is why their proper selection and strict adherence to the doctor's instructions are so important. In addition to using medications during pregnancy, situations that increase the risk of seizures, such as insomnia and stress, should be avoided.You must also follow - especially in the first weeks of pregnancy - a diet rich in products containing large amounts of folic acid.
A pregnant woman suffering from epilepsy should be under close supervision of both a neurologist and an obstetrician gynecologist. Appropriate treatment allows to minimize the risk of harmful effects of drugs, as well as to control seizures. Frequent fetal he alth checks are also necessary. In some cases, the doctor treating the pregnancy may suggest prenatal tests to rule out fetal malformations.
- Childbirth
Epilepsy is not an indication for caesarean section, natural delivery is possible, and most cases do. The decision about the type of delivery is made by the obstetrician, and may recommend cutting, e.g. when the number of epileptic seizures has increased in the last month of pregnancy. Premature and surgical deliveries (with the use of obstetric tools) are more common in women suffering from epilepsy.
- Child
About 95 percent is born perfectly he althy. They can be fed naturally by their mother - most antiepileptic medications pass into food in such small amounts that they have no effect on the baby.
According to an expertPiotr Raczyński, MD, PhD, obstetrician gynecologistSuch a pregnancy requires diligence
Chronic diseases such as bronchial asthma, diabetes or epilepsy in the past posed a great threat to a woman during pregnancy. In the case of their occurrence, the main problem initially was infertility (diabetes). Then, as appropriate therapy develops - birth defects resulting from metabolic disorders (diabetes) or treatment harmful to the fetus (epilepsy). Currently, the treatment options allow the pregnancy to reach its term in most cases, and proper delivery is essential. It should be emphasized that the presence of the pathologies described here during pregnancy requires appropriate qualification of the risk group, and thus, an appropriate frequency of visits and the performance of all necessary tests. Only the diligence of a doctor and the commitment of the mother-to-be can contribute to a happy pregnancy termination, i.e. giving birth to a he althy child.
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