Can a tick bite during pregnancy be dangerous for a baby? ILADS experts argue that Lyme disease can be transmitted through the placenta. Doctors who use the treatment recommended by IDSA are of the opposite opinion. Check what effects Lyme disease can have on pregnancy and what a pregnant woman should do when a tick bites her.

Can a bite by tick during pregnancy be dangerous for the baby? Opinions on this subject are divided. Experts from the International Society for Lyme Disease and Related Diseases (ILADS) believe that a bite by an infected tick may have a negative effect on the he alth of a child.

They disagree with the doctors who use the standard treatment for Lyme disease, recommended by the American Infectious Diseases Society (IDSA), who argue that there is insufficient scientific evidence to support the link betweenLyme disease in pregnancy and whether there will be birth defects in children.

One thing is certain -pregnant, after being bitten by a tick, should see a doctor.

Contents:

  1. Tick bite and pregnancy - what to do?
  2. Lyme disease in pregnancy - is it dangerous for the baby?
  3. Lyme disease and breastfeeding

Tick bite and pregnancy - what to do?

If a pregnant woman bitten by a tick develops erythema migrans, antibiotic therapy should be started.

The pregnant woman is treated in the same way as other people,however, she does not receive one type of antibiotic - doxycycline (it can cause birth defects in the form of permanent tooth discoloration).Properly selected treatment does not pose a threat to the child and will cure the disease.

However, if, after a tick bite, a pregnant woman does not notice erythema or other symptoms indicative of Lyme disease (e.g. flu-like symptoms, joint pain), about 6 weeks after the bite, she should perform tests ( although their results may be inconclusive). If the test is positive, give antibiotics.

Such tests are necessary becausea pregnant woman may have Lyme disease asymptomatically , despite the weakening of the immune system during this period. This is due to a different economyhormonal in a pregnant woman. However, there is a risk that thesymptoms of Lyme disease may not appear until after childbirth , and with great intensity.

Ticks - how to outsmart them?

This will be useful to you

How can a pregnant woman protect herself from a tick?

Pregnant women should avoid going for walks in the forest, because the possibility of being bitten by ticks is quite high there.If you are pregnant or planning to do so, and you are going to the forest, remember to dress appropriately and use appropriate tick repellants.

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After returning from your walk, take a good look. If you found a tick, don't panic -not every tick is a carrier of Lyme disease.However, just in case, see a doctor (preferably with the tick removed) and check yourself not only for Lyme disease, but also other tick-borne diseases - babesiosis, bartonellosis or anaplasmosis. They can also be dangerous for a pregnant woman.

Also remember about a proper diet and a he althy lifestyle.Thanks to this, you will strengthen the body, which copes with all infections much better.

Lyme disease in pregnancy - is it dangerous for the baby?

Tasks on a topic are divided. Experts from the International Society for Lyme Disease and Related Diseases (ILADS) argue that spirochetes can be transmitted through the placenta and therefore are capable of infecting the unborn child.

And although a child may be born he althy, they show thatcases of congenital Lyme disease are common , which manifests itself with mental and neurological disorders, allergies, heart and eye defects.

A well-treated Lyme disease is not a problem for a woman who wants to get pregnant

Their views are not shared by doctors who use the standard method of treatment of Lyme disease, recommended by the American Society for Infectious Diseases (IDSA). They argue thatthere is no scientific evidence that clearly shows that Lyme disease in a pregnant woman can have a negative impact on the fetus.

It is true that there are single cases of birth defects in children of mothers who struggled with this disease during pregnancy, but no direct influence of spirochetes on the formation of these defects has been demonstrated.

Also, other studies have not shown that a sick mother passes the infection on to her child. Importantly, these tests were carried out on women suffering from Lyme disease during pregnancy, in whom effective Lyme disease was usedtreatment with antibiotics.

GOOD TO KNOW:Tick paralysis occurs most often in children

Lyme disease and breastfeeding

Professionals also disagree about passing bacteria on to your baby while you are breastfeeding.

According to doctors who use the standard method of treatment, there are no contraindications for a mother suffering from Lyme disease to breastfeed her baby. On the other hand, doctors from ILADS believe that the spirochetes can penetrate into the baby's body with food and recommend feeding the formula.

Lyme disease - symptoms

One of the most characteristic symptoms of Lyme disease, which occurs in over 60 percent of cases, is the so-called wandering erythema. This is a symptom of early Lyme disease. However,Lyme disease, especially in the later stages, has a number of other, less characteristic symptoms.Which? This question is answered by our expert Agnieszka Motyl, an epidemiologist at Medicover.

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