International Prenatal Infection Prevention Month

Pregnancy should be a time of excitement and joy, but for many expecting mothers, it’s also a time of worry. For over two million families worldwide, prenatal infections – viral or bacterial illnesses passed from mother to baby during pregnancy or delivery – result in infant death. While the United States has made significant progress in reducing the rate of prenatal disease transmission, it still remains a top priority for the US and a major threat for many countries across the globe. Fortunately, healthy pregnancy behaviors prevent prenatal infections. In February of each year, International Prenatal Infection Prevention Month highlights awareness of common prenatal infections transmitted from a mother to her baby.

What is a Prenatal Infection?

A prenatal infection is an invasive growth of germs in the body that can affect the health of a pregnancy, the pregnant mother, or the baby after birth. The germs often travel upwards through the vagina and cervix. For example, over 60% of women in the US have at least one infection over the course of their pregnancy. Infections are most common during the first trimester (first 12 weeks). Infections such as the common cold are very unlikely to cause serious harm, but others can affect the baby’s development and/or lead to preterm birth.

Prenatal infections include, but are not limited to:

• Group B Strep (GBS)
• Bacterial vaginosis
• Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
• Listeria or listeriosis
• Fifth disease
• Hepatitis B virus (HBV)
• Hepatitis C virus (HCV)
• HIV/AIDS
• Human papillomavirus (HPV)
• Toxoplasmosis
• Zika

How to Prevent Common Prenatal Infections

Although not all infections can be prevented, certain pregnancy habits can help women drastically reduce their risk.

Prenatal Care and Prenatal Infection Prevention Month

Healthcare professionals monitor pregnant women for prenatal care to reduce the chances of pregnancy-related complications, such as infections. The general guidelines regarding prenatal visits for healthy women include:

• Once a month for weeks 4 through 28
• Twice a month for weeks 28 through 36
• Once a week until birth

If you are older than 35, or if your pregnancy is considered high-risk, you will likely have more frequent visits.

Immunizations and Prenatal Infection Prevention Month

Women should be up-to-date on all immunizations before they become pregnant. However, not all pregnancies are planned. For this reason, prior vaccinations are not always possible. Discuss your vaccination history and which vaccines to get during your pregnancy with your doctor.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that pregnant women get two vaccines during every pregnancy:

• The inactivated flu shot (the injection, not the live nasal spray) to protect yourself and your baby for several months after birth from flu-related complications.
• The Tdap vaccine to protect yourself and your baby from pertussis, also known as whooping cough.

There are some vaccines that pregnant women should not get, such as:

• Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.
• Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine.
• Varicella (chicken pox) vaccine.
• Certain travel vaccines: yellow fever, typhoid fever, and Japanese encephalitis.

Prenatal Infection Testing

Pregnancy can be a stressful time for many expecting mothers and their families. Early diagnosis of prenatal infections is necessary to get a clear picture of both your and your baby’s health.