Fever in pregnant women: a sign of infection

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Extract from the article: A fever is a body temperature of 38°C or higher. It's a very common symptom in pregnant women. Although often benign, it should always be reported to a doctor, because of the risks it poses to the pregnancy and the child.

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A fever is a body temperature of 38°C or higher. It's a very common symptom in pregnant women. Although often benign, it should always be reported to a doctor, because of the risks it poses to the pregnancy and the child.

The changes a woman's body undergoes during the pregnancy process expose her to the onset of certain common illnesses, such as fever. According to Grace Koumayi, midwife and founder of the NGO « Faire autrement », this fever is caused in pregnant women by a viral, bacterial or parasitic infection. « It can be a lung infection or a toxoplasmosis infection. It can also be an amniotic fluid infection », she explains. Fever can lead to other abnormalities, such as inflammatory diseases, tumors, hyperthyroidism or heatstroke. These have repercussions on the fetus, which can have serious repercussions during childbirth.

Preventing fever

For Grace Koumayi, it's very important for a pregnant woman to prevent fever.With this in mind, she gives some advice on how to stay fever-free."They should sleep under a mosquito net to avoid malaria. Because malaria is the cause of fever.You have to go to the prenatal clinic, where we give you three tablets to prevent malaria," she advises.

To prevent fever, you also need to have antenatal check-ups.These check-ups will enable the gynecologist or midwife to detect any infection with toxoplasmosis or rubella, and treat to avoid complications.The midwife also draws the attention of expectant mothers to vaginal bleeding. « Pregnant women need to be careful: as soon as they notice any discharge from their vagina, they need to go and see a doctor to avoid infection », she says.

It's essential to consult the maternity hospital where you're being treated, as pyelonephritis usually requires hospitalization and antibiotic treatment by infusion. In the absence of fever, these same symptoms can be associated with a urinary infection, which needs to be treated rapidly with oral antibiotics when pregnant.

Elom AKAKPO