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Summary
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.
Latest News
- More Evidence That Zika Causes Microcephaly (09/16/2016, HealthDay)
- CDC Advises Pregnant Women to Avoid Miami Beach Due to Zika (08/19/2016, HealthDay)
- Zika May Have Caused Death of Texas Newborn (08/09/2016, HealthDay)
- More News on Infections and Pregnancy
Diagnosis and Tests
- TORCH Test (American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
Prevention and Risk Factors
- Group B Strep Infection: Prevention in Newborns (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Helping Children with Congenital CMV (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
- Protect Yourself and Your Baby from Dengue (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF
Living With
- Checklist of Foods to Avoid during Pregnancy (Department of Health and Human Services) Also in Spanish
- Foods to Avoid or Limit during Pregnancy (March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation) Also in Spanish
Related Issues
- Caring for Pets When You're Pregnant (March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation)
- HPV Vaccine and Pregnancy (Organization of Teratology Information Specialists) - PDF Also in Spanish
- Measles, Mumps, Rubella and the MMR Vaccine during Pregnancy (Organization of Teratology Information Specialists) - PDF Also in Spanish
- Meningococcal Disease (Bacterial Meningitis) Vaccine and Pregnancy (Organization of Teratology Information Specialists) - PDF Also in Spanish
- Seasonal Flu Vaccine Safety and Pregnant Women (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
- Smallpox Vaccination Information for Women Who Are Pregnant or Breastfeeding (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) Vaccine and Pregnancy (Organization of Teratology Information Specialists) - PDF
- Travelers' Health: Pregnant Travelers (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Vaccinations during Pregnancy (March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation)
- Vaccines for Pregnant Women (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Zika and Sexual Transmission (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
Specifics
- 5 Things to Know About Zika and Pregnancy (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Colds and the Flu: Respiratory Infections during Pregnancy (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
- Cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Pregnancy (Organization of Teratology Information Specialists) - PDF Also in Spanish
- E. Coli and Pregnancy (Organization of Teratology Information Specialists) Also in Spanish
- Group B Streptococcus and Pregnancy (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) - PDF
- Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C in Pregnancy (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) - PDF
- Pregnancy and Fifth Disease (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Pregnancy Complications: Bacterial Vaginosis (March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation)
- Pregnancy Complications: Genital Herpes (March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Pregnancy Complications: Gonorrhea (March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Pregnancy Complications: Group B Strep Infection (March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation)
- Pregnancy Complications: Salmonellosis (March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation)
- Pregnant Women and Influenza (Flu) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
- Questions and Answers: Zika and Pregnancy (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Sexually transmitted infections, pregnancy, and breastfeeding (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health)
- Staphylococcus aureus and Pregnancy (Organization of Teratology Information Specialists) - PDF Also in Spanish
- STDs and Pregnancy (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
- Toxoplasmosis and Pregnant Women (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Tuberculosis Treatment and Pregnancy (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
- Vibrio and Pregnancy (Organization of Teratology Information Specialists) - PDF Also in Spanish
- Yeast Infection during Pregnancy (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Infections and Pregnancy
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal ArticlesReferences and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Find an Expert
Teenagers
- I'm Pregnant. Should I Get a Flu Shot? (Nemours Foundation)
Patient Handouts
- Bacterial Vaginosis (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF
- Group B streptococcal septicemia of the newborn Also in Spanish
- Group B streptococcus - pregnancy Also in Spanish
- Immunization and Pregnancy (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF
- Pregnancy and the flu Also in Spanish
- 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
