Pregnancy planning is an important and crucial moment, requiring all kinds of examinations to reduce the risk of complications during gestation and childbirth. A blood test for antibodies during pregnancy is just such a diagnostic method. Before conception, it is important to determine the presence of antibodies to rubella virus and other TORCH infections, and to clarify the blood groups and Rh factors of the spouses. The results will determine the need for activities aimed at the normal growth and development of the baby.
Antibodies to TORCH infections
This group of diseases includes:
- rubella;
- cytomegalovirus;
- herpetic infection;
- toxoplasmosis.
These infections are especially dangerous during the period of gestation. Infection of a woman in the first trimester leads to congenital malformations, developmental abnormalities and spontaneous abortions. Experts recommend taking a blood test for antibodies during pregnancy during the first 12 weeks, and preferably even during the planning period.
Herpes simplex infection can lead to polyhydramnios, termination of pregnancy, miscarriage, development of intrauterine infection, prematurity. If a woman becomes infected for the first time, then the risk that the baby will be infected reaches 50%.
Infection with toxoplasmosis is most dangerous for the baby in the third trimester. If the mother gets sick in the first and second, the risk of the disease in the child reaches 25%, in the third - up to 90%. Rubella infection during the first 4 months of fetal life leads to fetal death, the development of macro- or microcephaly, and the appearance of the Gregg triad.
Cytomegalovirus is dangerous for damage to the brain of a child, the development of cerebral palsy, pathologies of the auditory and visual analyzer.
A blood test for antibodies during pregnancy evaluates the quantitative values of immunoglobulins G and M. These are the most important diagnostic criteria.
Decryption
During the period of gestation, the results of the study can be in the form of the following options:
- IgG and IgM not detected. This means that the mother has never encountered such infections, which means that infection can occur during the period of bearing the baby. Studies are repeated every month.
- IgG and IgM are detected. The result indicates a recent infection. It is necessary to conduct an additional blood test for antibody titers during pregnancy.
- IgG detected, IgM not detected. This is a favorable option for both the mother and the child. Talks about a long-standing infection.
- No IgG detected, IgM detected. It indicates a recent infection and requires additional diagnostic procedures.
The result is not deciphered by the laboratory doctor, but by the specialist who sent the woman for examination. Based on the indicators, a further pregnancy management scheme is determined.
Allogeneic antibodies
This type of antibody appears in the Rh conflict of the mother and child. A specific antigen, a Rhesus factor, can be found on human red blood cells. If it exists, such blood is called Rh-positive, in the absence - Rh-negative.
If a woman does not have a Rhesus factor, and the child inherited it from her father, the mother's body perceives the baby's Rhesus factor as a foreign body and produces antibodies against the baby's red blood cells. During the first pregnancy, this process is just beginning and most often does not entail serious consequences, but during subsequent gestations it manifests itself more aggressively. Thus, the Rhesus conflict develops.
The primary response of the mother is manifested by the production of IgM. They have a large molecular weight, which means they cannot penetrate the placental barrier. Secondary sensitization occurs in the form of the production of a significant amount of low molecular weight IgG, which can penetrate the fetus.
Diagnosis of Rhesus conflict
A blood test for Rh antibodies during pregnancy has the following features:
- If the spouses are Rh negative, no diagnosis is necessary.
- If the mother is Rh-negative and the father has Rh-positive blood, the determination of the titer of Rh antibodies should occur in dynamics throughout the pregnancy (monthly).
- Awareness of previous antibody titers will determine the presence of sensitization of the body.
- IgM is not dangerous for the baby, and the presence of IgG indicates the need to clarify the titer and constant close monitoring of pregnancy.
Risk Factors and Possible Complications
The high-risk group for the development of Rhesus conflict includes women with a history of artificial abortions in the later stages, blood transfusion, habitual miscarriage, the presence of pathological childbirth and ectopic pregnancy.
As a result of the severe course of the conflict, a hemolytic disease of the newborn develops, which is accompanied by the following complications:
- the birth of a dead baby;
- encephalopathy;
- hypertrophy of the liver and spleen;
- nuclear jaundice;
- delayed normal development;
- liver failure.
There are preventive measures in the development of the Rhesus conflict. In the absence of a Rhesus factor in a woman during the first pregnancy, she is given anti-D gamma globulin. A blood test for antibodies during pregnancy is carried out with each subsequent episode of gestation, determining the titer. The norm does not require additional administration of gamma globulin, at elevated rates it is administered according to a certain scheme several times.
Group antibodies
Few people know that the problem can be not only the difference in Rh factors, but also different blood types of spouses. Group conflict is less aggressive in relation to a child than incompatibility with Rhesus. Preventive measures to prevent the development of such a condition do not exist.
A blood test for group antibodies during pregnancy is required in the following cases:
- miscarriage;
- a history of childbirth;
- the development of placental abruption during previous pregnancies and childbirth;
- blood transfusion;
- history of abortion.
Antiphospholipid Antibodies
Phospholipids are fats that make up the membranes of body cells. A person cannot independently produce them, but he can also do without them. These substances are structural material, participate in blood coagulation, restore damaged cell walls, support the functioning of the nervous system.
When antiphospholipid antibodies appear during pregnancy, fat breakdown and antiphospholipid syndrome develop. The primary syndrome has an asymptomatic course, the body quickly recovers. Secondary is more aggressive and fraught with the development of thrombosis. As a result, the risk of heart attack, thromboembolism, stroke, and damage to the great vessels increases.
For pregnant women, the development of APS is associated with a high risk:
- miscarriages;
- stillbirths;
- fetal hypoxia;
- congenital malformations;
- premature placental abruption.
Diagnostic Features
A blood test for antibodies during pregnancy, the decoding of which is carried out by the doctor leading the woman, is considered mandatory in the following cases:
- habitual miscarriage;
- the presence of diseases of the cardiovascular system;
- persistent headache;
- thrombocytopenia;
- the presence of renal or hepatic pathology.
Blood is donated to determine the performance of antibodies to cardiolipin and phosphatidylserine. A significant amount of antibodies is not a direct confirmation of the development of APS. The doctor takes into account the brightness of the clinical signs and history. A high titer indicates the need for the appointment of antiplatelet agents (drugs that stop the processes of thrombus formation).
How to take a blood test for antibodies during pregnancy
In order for the diagnostic results to be correct, it is necessary to properly prepare for the collection of material. For 2-3 days, abandon drinks containing caffeine, soda, spicy, fried, pickled dishes. They give a blood test for antibodies during pregnancy on an empty stomach.
If possible, you should refuse to take medication. If this is not possible, tell the laboratory what tools are being used. Hyperthermia and the period after significant physical exertion are contraindications to the diagnosis.
After receiving the results, the obstetrician-gynecologist who leads the pregnant woman decrypts them. Evaluation of indicators determines the need for additional research and correction. Any self-medication and an unprofessional interpretation of the results are not allowed, since they can cost the life of the mother and her unborn baby.