Food poisoning during pregnancy: what to do

Food poisoning during pregnancy can happen with every woman. It is important to know what to do with the development of this disease, to what doctor to address. This article describes the causes, symptoms and treatments of poisoning in pregnant women and possible consequences for the fetus and woman.

The main causes of poisoning

Pregnant women are more susceptible to food poisoning. Their immune system is weakened and the body is protected is not complete. Poisoning in pregnancy can be caused by:

• Spoiled and stale food. Most often poisoning in pregnant women is triggered by dairy products, eggs, meat.
• Contaminated with bacteria food. Food can be cooked by a person who is sick with the intestinal infection, which contaminate food with their dirty hands. Also, food can be infected long before getting to the kitchen. For example, eggs can be contaminated with Salmonella.
• Failure to comply with a pregnant woman the basics of personal hygiene. Using not washed his hands in her body can get E. coli.
• Mushroom poisoning develops as a result of eating the poisonous mushrooms, or improperly prepared.

What are the risks of poisoning during pregnancy

Food poisoning during pregnancy can harm not only the mother but also the fetus. For a child the most dangerous is poisoning by mushrooms, as their toxins can enter directly to his body through the placenta and lead to his death.

Please note that doctors do not recommend the use of mushrooms in food during pregnancy, due to the high risk of poisoning them.

Food poisoning, the fetus is protected by the placenta from intestinal infections or toxins spoiled food. Threat to its status is the disruption of the woman's body.

The following are the major possible consequences for the pregnant woman who is poisoned and for her future baby:

• In cases of poisoning in the early stages of pregnancy may experience spontaneous miscarriage. It is called the dire state of the woman's body, dehydration and high toxicity. The risk of such interruption is maintained until 14 weeks.
• During poisoning in the later stages, you can start premature contractions. They provoke contractions of the diaphragm during vomiting.
• If a woman is observed in late pregnancy, placenta previa, she may start bleeding.
• Fetal hypoxia is called severe dehydration of the mother during which the child does not receive the necessary nutrients, oxygen and fluid. Hypoxia may lead to impaired development and even death of the fetus.

The main symptoms of poisoning

The first clinical symptoms of poisoning can begin as early as 1-2 hours after a meal. The volume of their manifestation depends on what has poisoned a pregnant woman.

The main clinical manifestations of food poisoning include:

• The development of nausea and subsequent vomiting. Vomiting first contains the remains of food eaten, and then can consist of gastric juice and bile. It brings relief, but then the nausea returns.
• Diarrhea. The stools may be profuse and liquid. When salmonellosis it is frothy and has a green color, with dysentery – watery.
• Intoxication depends on the infectious agent or substance that caused the poisoning. When salmonellosis or dysentery characterized by fever up to 39-40 degrees, and in mild poisoning it may be normal, or not to exceed 37.
• Abdominal pain can be localized in the stomach or intestines, to be sharp, or blunt attacks.
• Flatulence, flatulence. This symptom is not indicative as in pregnant women often occurs bloating.
• General weakness and malaise, headache triggered by dehydration and intoxication.
• When mushroom poisoning may experience impaired consciousness, hallucinations, rapid deterioration.

What to do in cases of poisoning in pregnant women

How to treat poisoning during pregnancy? Self-treatment of this condition during pregnancy can lead to serious complications as described above. With the development of symptoms of poisoning, the first thing to do is to call an ambulance. A team of doctors, after inspection, will decide what to do, I will say whether you need hospitalization or can be treated on an outpatient basis.

Remember that trying to induce vomiting and to conduct the washing at home is forbidden! This can lead to bleeding and premature birth.

Until you go to the doctors, try to calm the woman, to explain to her that there's no threat for her and the baby. Miscarriage and premature birth can also develop due to nervous stress.

The number of medications allowed during pregnancy, is very limited. You can give a woman only a few tablets of Activated charcoal, which neutralizes and remove toxins from the intestines.

Follow-up treatment

The physicians who have arrived on a call, assess the condition of the woman, measured her blood pressure, pulse, saturation, listen to the fetal heartbeat.

Most likely, they will advise you to hospitalize the pregnant woman to the hospital. Up to 20weeks women treated in gynecology and then to the obstetric Department. The gynecologist examined the woman decides on hospitalization. If her condition is not heavy, he will prescribe a treatment, and go home.

In severe intestinal infection therapy is conducted in a hospital where a woman is being treated for dehydration, monitor the condition of her fetus.

Treatment of poisoning consists of:

• Medical diet. Food women should receive balanced and complete. Fasting is prohibited. The gynecologist will paint details of permitted and prohibited products. There is to be had often and in small portions.
• Etiological treatment. Intestinal infections may need antibiotics. They are selected by the attending physician.
• Therapy of dehydration. It can be drips, or excessive drinking.
• Symptomatic treatment.

Examination

During pregnancy treatment of poisoning is carried out very carefully. Doctors are afraid to hurt by drugs fetus. To determine the status of the child, and matter, establish the cause and complications may require the following tests:

• Common blood test will help to identify dehydration, bacterial infection, anemia, and inflammation in the body.
• Urinalysis to exclude renal pathology.
• Stool cultures performed to identify intestinal infection.
• Ultrasound examination of the fetus helps to assess its condition, and no threat to him.
• Ultrasound examination of internal organs performed to diagnose pancreatitis and cholecystitis, which are frequent complications of diseases.

How to protect yourself from disease

During pregnancy, women should observe all precautions that will help them to avoid poisoning.

Below we provide recommendations that will help a woman who bears a child, not poisoned:

• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap before every meal and cooking.
• Do not buy natural products to unauthorized markets. The products they sell do not pass sanity check.
• During pregnancy, refrain from eating mushrooms, raw meat and fish.
• Do not buy prepared foods in supermarkets.
• Carefully read the manufacturing date products, pay attention to the integrity of their packages.
• Avoid visiting restaurants and cafes, eat at home.

Poisoning in pregnant women can be triggered by lots of reasons. Treatment of this pathological condition should be conducted by a doctor of gynecologist. When the disease is mild, the woman can be treated at home after the examination and appointment of treatment the doctor. In severe conditions, receiving admission to the hospital.