The common cold is a very unpleasant and insidious disease, which is dangerous by unexpected complications. As you know, a special risk group is children, the elderly and pregnant women. Least of all, expectant mothers want to catch a cold during this already difficult period for them, but, unfortunately, the “enemy” does not choose, and anyone can get into his insidious networks. What danger does the common cold carry during pregnancy? How to repulse the attack of the “enemy" in time and help the pregnant woman cope with the disease without causing harm to the fetus? We will try to answer these vital questions in this article.
What is the danger of a cold during early pregnancy
Colds of various nature, especially in the first trimester, can turn into a tragedy for the unborn baby, causing irreversible abnormal processes in the development of the fetus, so a woman in a position needs to think about preventive measures in advance. After all, the immunity of the future mother with the restructuring of the body is somewhat weakened. Why it happens? This process, called immunosuppression (oppression of protective forces), is necessary so that the mother’s body cannot "confuse" the fetus with a harmful agent and "neutralize" it in the most cruel way. For this reason, early pregnancy often turns a woman into a kind of target for bacteria and viruses.
During the first weeks, all vital organs are formed in the child, his cells multiply at lightning speed, and the mother’s inaction during this period is simply unacceptable. A cold in the early stages of pregnancy can lead to abnormal functioning of the placenta, which in turn entails a serious violation of the nutritional processes of the fetus. In addition, the risk of pathological development of organs such as the heart, liver and brain increases. Pregnant as a result of a virus attack can suffer another sad fate - a miscarriage.
As practice shows, the risk is great, but it can be minimized, or even reduced to zero, if you seek help from your doctor in time and take urgent measures. Vigilance in such situations is never superfluous, and negligence in relation to oneself and the unborn baby can become a fatal mistake, which, alas, cannot be corrected.
How to treat a cold in early pregnancy
It is known that harm to an unborn child is caused not only by viruses, microbes and bacteria, but also by the condition of a woman caused by the activity of harmful agents in the body: high fever, muscle aches, runny nose and other unpleasant symptoms. How to act in such situations? First of all, one should not forget about bed rest. This approach will already reduce the risk of the development of various defects in the fetus. The use of synthetic drugs will have to be minimized or completely eliminated. In no case should you take aspirin-containing drugs to lower the temperature (they cause malformations of the child). The best alternative to aspirin is a warm tea with linden or raspberry. If it was not possible to bring down the temperature with folk remedies, you can drink Paracetamol.
Discomfort can also be caused by such manifestations of the common cold as coughing, runny nose or a sore throat. Since most synthetic drugs are prohibited during the first trimester of pregnancy, you will have to be content with the same folk methods: rinse the throat with herbal decoctions (sage, eucalyptus, chamomile), rinse the nose with sea salt, inhalation three times a day. Perhaps these measures will be enough to ease the symptoms of a cold.
What is the danger of a cold during late pregnancy?
According to doctors, a woman’s cold in late pregnancy does not entail such serious consequences - the baby’s organs are already formed, and the placenta, which is a powerful barrier against microorganisms, too. But this does not mean at all that a cold, starting from the second half of pregnancy, can be allowed to drift. Indeed, ahead of her mother's great event is the birth of the long-awaited baby, so she needs to protect her strength and health.
Thus, colds in women in late pregnancy can disrupt the further course of labor. Moreover, it increases the likelihood of transmitting viruses to the baby while passing through the birth canal. Also among the complications caused by colds in the mother in late pregnancy, fetal hypoxia, placental insufficiency, and even premature contractions can be distinguished. The risk, as a rule, is not great, but it exists.
How to treat a cold in late pregnancy
It is unacceptable to transfer the disease on the legs - this is the first thing to consider. However, this rule applies to any trimester of pregnancy. The use of synthetic drugs during this period is very limited, but does not have such strict prohibitions. When coughing, it is permissible to use expectorant syrups (except for codeine-containing) or natural herbal preparations (for example, Mukaltin) sold in pharmacies. To eliminate the main symptoms, you can also use linden tea, coltsfoot, licorice root, calendula, chamomile, thermopsis, medicinal marshmallow and oregano.
Runny nose is treated by rinsing with saline solutions. If the nose is completely blocked, it is advisable to bury it with Nazivin. The red throat is irrigated with a solution of soda, decoctions of herbs, Furacilin or Rotokan, and the temperature (if it is above 38 C) is knocked down with warm tea from antipyretic herbs - raspberries, linden, coltsfoot. If unconventional methods do not help bring down the temperature, you should take Paracetamol. Before using this or that synthetic drug, you must always consult with your doctor.
Prevention of the common cold during pregnancy
Now you are already two, and protecting the baby by any means is the main task of the future mother. The issue of prevention of colds is extremely important during pregnancy, especially in its early stages. First of all, because the "piquant position" in itself causes a decrease in immunity. The list of medicines for colds available during pregnancy is very scarce, therefore, to prevent diseases, it is very important to take care of basic safety rules:
- When going out in the midst of an epidemic, be sure to wear a mask. Try to avoid crowds;
- Arriving home, wash the nasal cavity with saline, gargle with soda solution - this will prevent the growth of microorganisms;
- At night, grate garlic or onions on a grater, put it on a plate and place it next to the bed until morning - this will "neutralize" the space surrounding you;
- Make sure your diet is varied, nutritious and rich in terms of vitamins (especially vitamin C). If the doctor permits, you can use additional mineral-vitamin complexes;
- Do not forget to regularly air the apartment / room;
- For the prevention of colds during pregnancy, you can also instill aloe juice diluted with water (1: 1 ratio).
A pregnancy complicated by a cold is not an easy test for a future mother and baby. If the first symptoms have already "manifested themselves in all their glory," do not pull and begin treatment with alternative methods as soon as possible. The main thing is not to panic, but to seek help in time. After all, your experiences will negatively affect the health of the baby. If you start treatment on time, perhaps the child will not even “notice” Mom’s ailment.
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