Dengue during pregnancy can harm your baby. This fever makes women weak and lazy. The Pregnant women with dengue fever recover well with the help of usual therapy of fluids, rest, and antipyretics. Today we are going to discuss 6 ways to manage dengue during pregnancy and how to prevent this.

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What is Dengue?

Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne disease which is caused by the dengue virus. Symptoms typically begin 3-14 days after the mosquito bite. It may include a high fever, headache, vomiting, muscle, joint pains and skin rashes.

Ways to Manage Dengue During Pregnancy:

Here are the 6 ways to manage dengue during pregnancy:

1. To prevent dehydration due to vomiting, drink lots of water and fresh juices. Being hydrated is essential for maintaining embryonic fluid level.

2. Pain killers and antibiotics are given to control fever, joint pain or muscle ache.

3. Do not take any medicines, especially aspirin, and related drugs, as they may not be safe during pregnancy.

4. Your blood pressure and platelet count will be monitored.

5. Infusion of platelets might be required in extreme cases.

6. If there is an excess of bleeding, a blood transfusion might be needed.

What are the Symptoms of Dengue During Pregnancy?

The symptoms of the dengue fever appear 72 hours after the virus strays into the body after a mosquito bite. Most of the signs of dengue fever are quite similar to that of the flu. Initial signs include:

• High fever

• Rashes on the upper body

• Severe headache

• Nausea and vomiting

• Signs of dehydration

• Bleeding from the gums

• Pain behind the eyes which increases with eye movements

• Loss of appetite

• Severe body pain and joint pain

• Low platelet count

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What are the Risk Factors of Dengue During Pregnancy?

Dengue fever in pregnancy can produce a lot of health complications for both the mother and the unborn baby. This is because the immune system is suppressed during pregnancy, the chances are that pregnant women can have a severe form of dengue.

Also, the virus can be transmitted to the unborn baby during pregnancy or birth. There may be a need for a cesarean section if you have dengue at any time during pregnancy. Some of the complications which can emerge during pregnancy due to dengue fever are:

Thrombocytopenia

The drop in the platelet level is one of the significant signs of dengue. Low platelet count during pregnancy can be life-threatening for both the mother and the baby. Some thrombocytopenia can develop complications with the use of epidural or general anesthesia in the course of delivery.

Preterm labor and low birth weight: Dengue during pregnancy, especially during the second and third trimester increases the chances of preterm labor and a low weight newborn or even stillbirth in severe cases.

Miscarriage

Dengue during the first trimester increases the chances of miscarriage.

Risk of Hemorrhage

If the mother is infected with dengue virus during delivery, the risk of hemorrhage is very high.

Preeclampsia

The developing preeclampsia increases if the woman is pregnant.

Dengue hemorrhagic fever

The severe form of dengue, dengue hemorrhagic fever, can be fatal for the baby.

The passing of dengue fever to your baby will happen only if you have this illness towards the end of your pregnancy, otherwise, the chances of passing the virus to the fetus are very low. Generally, dengue is not known to cause any physical deformity in kids, however, you have to be careful to prevent infection from spreading to your newborn baby.

Your baby will be investigated for symptoms like fever, low platelet count and rashes in case you had dengue at the time of delivery.

How to Prevent Dengue During Pregnancy?

Dengue is transferred through mosquito bites. Although, preventing the thriving of mosquitoes helps to prevent dengue fever during pregnancy. For this:

1. Use mosquito repellents around the house which are safe during pregnancy.

2. Stay indoors in the early morning and late afternoon during which the mosquitoes are more active.

3. Stay inside a mosquito net while taking rest

4. Wear light-colored clothes that are long sleeved and cover your legs

5. Mosquitoes do not stay at cold temperature. Therefore, try to stay in an air-conditioned room.

6. Avoid any water stagnation around the home and keep your surroundings clean and hygienic, to prevent mosquitoes from thriving.

7. Always try to cover the windows and door with wire mesh, it will also help to prevent mosquitoes from getting into the house.

Conclusion

In the above article, we have talked about 6 ways to manage dengue during pregnancy and its symptoms, causes, risk factors and preventions. The dengue treatment is based on the health of the mother and the unborn baby. The doctor can monitor the condition and more importantly if you feel any of the above symptoms so immediately consult a doctor as soon as possible.

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