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It’s International Prenatal Infection Prevention Month, which many of you have probably never heard of.

But it’s important to spread the word about some conditions that can cause serious problems for both you and your unborn baby:

Group B Strep

If you are pregnant, you need to know whether you have group B strep. About 25 percent of all women carry the bacteria that can cause group B strep infection. These bacteria are usually not harmful to you and won’t make the people around you sick—but they can be very dangerous for your newborn.

Babies can get very sick and even die if their mothers pass group B strep bacteria to them during childbirth. Ask your healthcare provider for a group B strep test when you are in your third trimester, at around 35 to 37 weeks pregnant. If you test positive, your doctor can give you an antibiotic during labor to prevent the bacteria from spreading to your baby.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV)

A pregnant woman infected with CMV can pass the virus to her baby during pregnancy. Most babies born with CMV infection will be fine, but some may be born with problems such as hearing or vision loss or mental disabilities, or develop issues later on.

How can you avoid getting cytomegalovirus? CMV is passed from infected people to others through body fluids, such as saliva, urine, blood, vaginal secretions and semen, but it doesn’t spread very easily. For pregnant women, the two most common ways they contract CMV is through sexual activity or contact with the saliva and urine of children who already have a CMV infection.

If you’re pregnant and have contact with a CMV-infected child, wash your hands soap and water after changing the child’s diapers, wiping their nose or mouth and touching their toys, pacifier, or other objects. Don’t share food, drinks, eating utensils or a toothbrush with the child and disinfect all toys, countertops or other surfaces that may have the child’s saliva or urine on them.

Listeriosis

Listeriosis is a rare but serious infection caused by eating food contaminated with bacteria called Listeria. Pregnant women are about 10 times more likely than the general population to get listeriosis. Listeriosis during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery or infection in newborns.

To prevent contracting listeriosis, avoid certain foods during pregnancy, such as:

• hot dogs and lunchmeats unless they have been heated/reheated to more than 160 degrees F
• raw (unpasteurized) milk
• soft cheeses such as feta, Brie, Camembert, blue-veined cheeses and Mexican-style cheeses unless they are made from pasteurized milk,
• raw or undercooked seafood, such as sushi or sashimi
• refrigerated pates and meat spreads
• refrigerated smoked seafood.

Pregnant women should also take extra precautions not to get fluid from delicatessen meat or hot dog packages on other foods or food preparation surfaces.

At Chouchani, Sayegh and Bagnarello, we believe an informed patient is a healthy patient—and healthy patients are our goal!  To make an appointment with one of our doctors, please call us.  We are a top OB-GYN practice in Buffalo.