Sepsis—Infections and Pregnancy

If you are pregnant, an infection can be more than just a problem for you. Some infections can be dangerous to your baby. You can help yourself avoid infections:

• Don’t eat raw or undercooked meat
• Don’t share food or drinks with other people
• Wash your hands frequently
• Don’t empty cat litter. Cats can transmit toxoplasmosis.

You may need to take medicines or get a vaccine to prevent an infection in your baby. For example, you may need to take antibiotics if you develop an infection with group B strep, or take medicines if you have genital herpes. Only some medicines and vaccines are safe during pregnancy. Ask your health care provider about how best to protect you and your baby.

• Group B streptococcal septicemia of the newborn (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Group B streptococcus – pregnancy (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Immunization and Pregnancy (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) – PDF
• Pregnancy and the flu (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Pregnant Women Need a Flu Shot (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) – PDF
• Protect Your Baby for Life: When a Pregnant Woman Has Hepatitis B (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) – PDF
• Toxoplasmosis: An Important Message for Women (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) – PDF

Sepsis is a serious illness. It happens when your body has an overwhelming immune response to a bacterial infection. The chemicals released into the blood to fight the infection trigger widespread inflammation. This leads to blood clots and leaky blood vessels. They cause poor blood flow, which deprives your body’s organs of nutrients and oxygen. In severe cases, one or more organs fail. In the worst cases, blood pressure drops and the heart weakens, leading to septic shock.

Anyone can get sepsis, but the risk is higher in

• People with weakened immune systems
• Infants and children
• The elderly
• People with chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, AIDS, cancer, and kidney or liver disease
• People suffering from a severe burn or physical trauma

Common symptoms of sepsis are fever, chills, rapid breathing and heart rate, rash, confusion, and disorientation. Doctors diagnose sepsis using a blood test to see if the number of white blood cells is abnormal. They also do lab tests that check for signs of infection.

People with sepsis are usually treated in hospital intensive care units. Doctors try to treat the infection, sustain the vital organs, and prevent a drop in blood pressure. Many patients receive oxygen and intravenous (IV) fluids. Other types of treatment, such as respirators or kidney dialysis, may be necessary. Sometimes, surgery is needed to clear up an infection.

NIH: National Institute of General Medical Sciences

• Blood culture (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Group B streptococcal septicemia of the newborn (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Neonatal sepsis (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Sepsis (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Septic shock (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Septicemia (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Toxic shock syndrome (Medical Encyclopedia)