2024-04-25 14:10:30
A tick bite can transmit several viruses and bacteria responsible for various diseases, including Lyme disease. In case of pregnancy, it remains important to protect yourself. We take stock.
Tick bite during pregnancy: what risks for mother and baby?
If a tick contaminated with bacteria bites a human being, it can transmit the bacteria responsible for the disease, the most common being Lyme borreliosis. “After being bitten by a tick, there is a 95% chance that you will never develop Lyme disease. Only 5% of people will develop a clinical infection,” recalls Dr. Raffetin.
A percentage of risks similar for pregnant women.
No additional infectious risk has been demonstrated in pregnant women. The risks are the same as for the general population, declares Dr. Alice Raffetin, infectious disease specialist and coordinator of the North Reference Center for Tick Vector Diseases (CRMVT).
If in immunocompromised patients there is a theoretical increased risk of dissemination of Borrelia, this is not the case in pregnant women. “Certainly, pregnancy causes relative immunosuppressionin order to welcome the baby without making it a ‘rejection’, but it is not a question of severe immunosuppression either, which means that pregnant women are not at greater risk.
Lyme disease during pregnancy: what are the risks for mother and baby?
If a pregnant woman develops Lyme disease, there is no risk of transmitting it to the fetus.
There is no formal evidence of a risk of infection or fetal malformation. Dr. Raffetin
“Today, there are studies with cohorts of more than 1,000 patients with Lyme disease, including newborns born without any clinical expression of the disease,” says Dr. Raffetin. There is also no risk of congenital malformation.
Increased risk of miscarriage in pregnant women who have Lyme
On the other hand, what has been shown, and what is true for most infectious diseases, is that when you develop Lyme disease, the stimulation of the immune system is greater than usual, which can be the cause of a spontaneous miscarriage. Dr. Raffetin
” Indeed, Pregnant women who develop Lyme disease have a higher rate of miscarriages than in the general population. Hence the importance of treating quickly: studies show that pregnant women who are treated quickly do not have an additional risk of miscarriage compared to women who do not have Lyme.”
How to properly protect yourself from ticks when you are pregnant?
Preventive measures are the same as for the general population. Dr. Raffetin
“A pregnant woman walking in the forest should wear covering clothing and put repellent on areas of the skin that are not protected by clothing,” says Dr. Raffetin. “There are quite a few repellent products authorized for pregnant women. Repellents based on DEET and containing R3535 are allowed ; only number of applications per day may changein order to respect certain concentrations for pregnant women,” she specifies.
When walking in nature, particularly in wooded areas or even in a simple garden, here are the right actions to adopt:
Equip yourself with a tick removeravailable in pharmacies, to intervene quickly; Wear long, light-colored clothingwhich tighten the wrists and ankles, and closed shoes;Protect your head and your cou ;After the walk, examine carefully your body.
What should you do when you have a tick?
If you notice the presence of a tick, carefully remove it using the tick remover (pull gently without crushing it, using a rotating motion) then flush it down the toilet or put it in an airtight bag to take to your doctor. Afterwards, rinse the area bite with soap and water or rub with alcohol to disinfect it thoroughly.
Pregnant woman: when to worry following a tick bite?
When you are bitten by a tick during pregnancy, the action to take is the same as for the general population. Dr. Raffetin
After removing the tick, here is what to do:
I note the date of the bite ;I monitors in the month which follows the area where I was bitten; If there is the slightest unusual or typical sign like erythema migrans, I consult quickly.
Preventive antibiotic treatment is unnecessary
“This is a question often asked by my patients: Should you take preventative antibiotic treatment when you are pregnant?, to protect yourself from Lyme? The answer is non », says the infectious disease specialist. “You are not at increased risk of developing Lyme following a tick bite when you are pregnant. Not to mention that taking an antibiotic for prevention will not necessarily prevent you from developing Lyme disease.”
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