Today, chlamydia is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections. In the world, the number of sick people is constantly growing, and chlamydia during pregnancy is of particular danger. During gestation, this disease leads to premature birth, spontaneous miscarriage, missed pregnancy. Moreover, 50% of newborns have this infection. They develop pneumonia, vulvovaginitis, urethritis and other pathologies. Modern medicine has quite effective methods of treatment, the main thing is to diagnose the disease on time.
Description
Urogenital chladimiosis is an STD that develops when the bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis enters the body, which affects the mucous membrane and appendages of the human genital organs. During pregnancy, the disease is lethargic and asymptomatic, so it is difficult to identify. Female representatives have no discharge.
Chlamydia initially affects the genitourinary system, in particular the genitourinary tract, so the patient often develops urethritis, but the development of the disease can occur in different ways. Quite often, eyes, nasopharynx, and lungs are affected. Chlamydia in women during pregnancy affects not only the urogenital tract, but also the amniotic membranes and the fetus itself, where they enter through the amniotic fluid. Microbes settle on the mucous membranes of the fetus.
Chlamydia trachomatis are microorganisms that are larger than bacteria, but smaller than viruses. They are localized in the female sex cells, therefore, they affect the genitourinary system, including the cervix. But pathogenic microorganisms may not be in this place all the time, therefore, a diagnostic study of smears is effective only in 30% of cases.
Chlamydia can be asymptomatic for a long time, so the carrier of the infection may not even be aware of his disease. Chlamydia during pregnancy means that microbes entered the body of a woman in close contact with the mucous membranes of an infected person before or after conception of the baby. Over time, they invade the cells of the epithelium and the immune system, where they can be for several years. The woman’s immunity begins to produce white blood cells, as a result of which inflammation develops, the intensity of which can vary.
Danger of disease
Chlamydia during pregnancy, the consequences can be negative if untimely diagnosis and treatment of the disease. In a pregnant woman, microbes cause an inflammatory process in the pelvic organs, in the uterus and its appendages. As a result, salpingitis or endometritis develops. Often, pathology leads to the formation of Refter syndrome, accompanied by arthritis, urethritis and conjunctivitis. Scars appear on the urethral epithelium, provoking narrowing of the urethra.
When a woman is infected in the early stages of pregnancy, a spontaneous miscarriage or fetal development arrest is possible due to placental insufficiency, which causes a lack of oxygen. As a result, fetal hypoxia develops. With moderate hypoxia, the organs of the unborn child are affected, in the mild case this will manifest itself as a violation of muscle tone after birth. In severe cases, damage to the nervous system or death is possible.
Chlamydia during pregnancy has a negative effect on the fetus. When a woman is infected, a child may stop receiving nutrients, so he can be born prematurely or with low weight, anemia, vitamin deficiency.
When a woman is infected at a late stage of pregnancy, chlamydia affects the kidneys, liver and pancreas. In a child, the disease manifests itself in the following pathologies:
- encephalopathy, accompanied by convulsions;
- conjunctivitis;
- infectious pneumonia;
- Fitz-Hugh-Curtis disease.
The causes of the disease
The cause of the development of chlamydia is Chlamydia trachomatis, which penetrates the human body through sexual or contact life. Chlamydia during pregnancy can appear in the body due to non-compliance with hygiene rules in the pool and other places of rest. With blood flow, the bacterium can spread throughout the body, settling in organs and tissues. The disease provokes the development of adhesions in the affected organs as a result of the inflammatory process, weakening of the immune system. In the external environment, microbes easily die under the influence of boiling, ultraviolet radiation, antiseptics. Most often, the causes of chlamydia during pregnancy lie in sexual contact, which is not protected.
When planning a pregnancy, doctors recommend an examination for latent infections to exclude the risk of complications and miscarriage.
Symptoms and signs of the disease
Symptoms of chlamydia during pregnancy may not occur. About 65% of women do not know about their disease, in other cases, signs of pathology are not pronounced, often a woman does not pay attention to them.
Infected pregnant women may observe the following symptoms:
- mucous or purulent discharge from the vagina;
- unpleasant odor and yellow tint of discharge;
- pain in the external genital area;
- itching and burning;
- weakness, fatigue.
All of the above signs can indicate the development of other diseases, so a woman can not accurately determine the infection with chlamydia. But the presence of these signs should be an occasion to contact a gynecologist.
Survey methods
Since chlamydia has mild symptoms, it is not possible to recognize the disease. The diagnosis is made based on the results of laboratory tests for the presence of an infectious agent and its antigens. For analysis, a smear for chlamydia during pregnancy is taken from the cervical canal or urethra. In 30% of cases, the Romanovsky-Giemsa test helps to identify the bacterium. But this research method is not effective, so the doctor additionally prescribes other diagnostic measures.
Chlamydia tests during pregnancy are often performed using serological and immunological diagnostic methods. Samples and blood are taken from a woman for the study of antibodies to chlamydia by ELISA and PIF. In the case of detecting a small concentration of antibodies, it can be argued about the chronic course of the disease, with a high content of antibodies they say an exacerbation of the pathology, which requires immediate treatment.
The figures in the results of the analysis should be twice as high as the norm, if they are less, this indicates a false result of the study. In this case, additional diagnosis is required using the PCR method, which today is considered the most effective.
The doctor can prescribe an examination for all family members to identify the stages of development of pathology and develop effective treatment. Usually, during pregnancy, an analysis is prescribed for three pathogens: chlamydia, ureaplasma and mycoplasma.
Knowing why chlamydia is dangerous during pregnancy, the doctor can prescribe an analysis that will show the presence of infection in the fetus. To do this, he takes the amniotic fluid under ultrasound control. This method allows you to determine the possible danger and eliminate the risk of negative consequences for the child. An examination of the internal organs is also additionally prescribed, since medications are used to treat chlamydia, which can affect the affected organs.
Chlamydia Treatment
During therapy, a pregnant woman should be under the supervision of a gynecologist. This is due to the fact that many representatives of the weaker sex independently stop taking medications when unpleasant symptoms disappear, which is absolutely impossible. The microbes that survive become resistant to the drugs, so eliminating them from the body will be difficult.
Treatment of chlamydia during pregnancy is not possible with all drugs, women are contraindicated in antibiotics from the tetracycline group, as they have many side effects. Most often, the doctor prescribes macrolides. But self-treatment is strictly contraindicated, only an experienced doctor can prescribe a harmless drug in each case.
Chlamydia during pregnancy can be treated in several ways:
- A single dose of an antibacterial drug that negatively affects pathological microorganisms.
- Therapy with antibiotics, enzymes and immunomodulators. In this case, the treatment will be long, but effective.
In each case, the attending physician selects the treatment of the disease. Usually, pathology requires complex treatment, which allows you to completely cure the disease. In medicine, it has been established that chlamydia is an infection that cannot be eliminated by the human immune system, therefore it must be treated with various drugs.
The choice of a suitable antibacterial drug is carried out by the doctor, taking into account the individual characteristics of the body of a pregnant woman and the presence of concomitant diseases. He must conduct an antibioticogram to determine the sensitivity of the bacteria to the medication. Probiotics are also prescribed to protect the intestines from developing dysbiosis and diarrhea.
The role of immunomodulators and enzymes
For disorders of the immune system, immunomodulators are prescribed that are aimed at increasing the body's defenses. According to the results of studies, it was found that women who have an impaired immune system fully recovered after the use of immunostimulants in 63% of cases.
An important role in the treatment of chlamydia is played by enzymes, they have a beneficial effect on human immunity, increasing the concentration of the drug in the lesion, stimulating the work of the kidneys, neutralizing toxins. They contribute to the return to normal of the penetration of membranes, reduce allergic reactions to drugs, and have decongestant and analgesic properties. In addition, enzymes help increase the effectiveness of antibiotic treatment, restore blood circulation. Together with enzymes, the doctor can prescribe vitamin and mineral complexes.
Monitoring the results of therapy
Given the effect of chlamydia on pregnancy, after the treatment, the doctor prescribes a re-diagnosis for the presence of infection in the body. For this, various techniques are used. Two weeks after the end of treatment, bacteriological culture is carried out, and after three weeks - UIF and PCR. Such diagnostics can reliably determine the effectiveness of treatment.
Forecast
If chlamydia in a pregnant woman is detected on time, and the doctor has carried out effective treatment, the prognosis will be favorable, as the woman can be completely cured. With a running pathology, therapy will take a lot of time. It is necessary to take into account the development of complications of the disease, which adversely affect the health and life of not only the pregnant woman, but also her child. Self-medication in this case is contraindicated. The doctor should strictly monitor the woman's compliance with all recommendations and appointments.
Prevention
Prevention of chlamydia is based on the use of a condom during sexual intercourse. A person must also have one sexual partner. If unprotected intercourse has occurred with an unfamiliar partner, it is recommended to immediately test for chlamydia, even in the absence of symptoms and signs of the disease.
When planning pregnancy, both partners must observe preventive measures; they must pass all tests to detect hidden infections and STDs. If chlamydia is detected, it is necessary to undergo therapy before pregnancy to eliminate the risk of developing irreversible consequences.
Chlamydia during pregnancy today is a common phenomenon that is observed in every tenth of the fairer sex who have good health. Most often, those women who have treated infertility in the past, have had miscarriages and inflammation of the appendages. The risk of developing chlamydia in them is 65%. Therefore, such patients should especially monitor their health and undergo examinations on time.
Doctors must conduct a study for the presence of chlamydia in women who have:
- diseases of the genitourinary system of a chronic nature;
- menstrual cycle disorder;
- past abortions and miscarriages;
- SARS;
- fever of unknown origin.
Doctors also necessarily examine newborns if a woman has been treated for chlamydia in the past. Timely diagnosis and effective therapy can completely get rid of the disease, eliminate the risk of developing pathologies in a child and a woman. Therefore, it is important to approach pregnancy planning with responsibility, observing all doctor's prescriptions.