Colds during pregnancy: treatment and prevention

Frequent colds during pregnancy are a very common phenomenon, since after conception, the body of every woman faces a factor that is mandatory for the "interesting situation" - physiological immunosuppression. That is, a decrease in the specific (acquired) immunity of the body to prevent rejection of the embryo.

This is why pregnant women are prone to colds, as well as to exacerbation of chronic upper respiratory tract diseases. According to various data, the incidence of colds, acute respiratory infections or acute respiratory viral infections during the gestational period is 55-82%.

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How does a cold affect pregnancy?

Everyone without exception is interested in the answer to the main question: is a cold dangerous during pregnancy? And especially in the first trimester.

A cold is the result of one of the types of adenovirus infection affecting the body. Doctors cannot yet say how this or that type of adenovirus that the expectant mother has contracted affects the development of the fetus. But absolutely all obstetricians and gynecologists agree on one thing: how a cold affects pregnancy depends, first of all, on its term.

Colds in the first weeks of gestation are the most dangerous, since it is during this period that the foundations for normal gestation of a healthy child are laid. If you catch a cold in the 1st and 2nd week (when most women do not yet know that they are "in position"), this can lead to a spontaneous miscarriage. A cold in the 3rd week of pregnancy is also extremely undesirable, because it is at this time that the implantation of the fertilized egg into the wall of the uterus occurs, and it has no protection (there is no placenta yet).

Any infections and exacerbations of diseases, as well as a cold in the 4th week of gestation, when the formation of the placenta begins, can cause its detachment with bleeding and miscarriage. According to medical statistics, due to ARVI in the early stages, 13-18% of pregnancies are terminated prematurely.

A cold in the 5th and 6th week of pregnancy coincides with the stage at which the neural tube is formed in the fetus, and the illness of the expectant mother can cause defects of the central nervous system in the child.

Colds in the 7th, 8th, and 9th weeks with symptoms of nasal congestion and high temperature affect the oxygen supply to the fetus, which is just developing its internal organs. Oxygen deficiency leads to fetal hypoxia and a high risk of developmental delay.

A cold in the 10th and 11th weeks of pregnancy occurs during the period when most of the vital organs of the future child have not only formed, but also begin to function. And a cold - especially in a severe form with a high temperature - increases the risk of toxins produced by viruses getting to the fetus. This is especially true for influenza: those who have had this disease have a very high probability of giving birth to premature babies or babies with low birth weight, as well as the development of hydrocephalus or premature aging of the placenta. The same factors are in effect when the expectant mother is overtaken by a cold in the 12th or 13th week from the beginning of conception.

The second trimester of the gestational period begins, and it is believed that a cold in the second trimester of pregnancy does not cause any perinatal pathologies. However, in the 14th, 15th and 16th week, it can provoke inflammatory processes in the body of the future child - as a consequence of the infection's effect on the placenta.

Although, indeed, a cold in the second or third trimester of the gestational period will not be able to directly affect the child’s organs so seriously as to cause their anomalies.

However, colds in the 17th, 18th, and 19th weeks are dangerous for the fetus due to the intoxication of the woman's body, whose temperature of +38°C and above does not drop for several days and her appetite completely disappears. The intrauterine development of the child continues, and for this it needs oxygen and nutrients, which the mother with a cold does not give.

In addition, with high body temperature, a cold in the 20th, 21st, 22nd and 23rd weeks of pregnancy (in short, the entire second trimester) can lead to damage to the placenta by a virus, which often results in placental pathology - fetoplacental insufficiency. Viruses also contribute to the activation of foci of infection hidden in the woman's body.

A cold in late pregnancy has its negative consequences. Very often, expectant mothers complain of shortness of breath and even pain under the ribs when breathing. And when coughing, all the respiratory muscles, the diaphragm and the abdominal press are tense; at the same time, the jerky movement of the diaphragm affects the bottom of the uterus, which causes the uterus to tone. And this can lead to premature labor. This is precisely why a cold in the 35th week of gestation is dangerous.

Colds at 36 weeks of pregnancy and a significant increase in temperature are fraught with placental abruption and premature rupture of amniotic fluid (amniotic fluid). And at 37 weeks, pathogens may enter the amniotic fluid (which the fetus systematically absorbs).

It is easy to imagine how a cold at 38 and 39 weeks of gestation can affect a child. It is clear that with a severe runny nose and a stuffy nose of the mother, the child receives less oxygen. In the late stages of pregnancy, intrauterine hypoxia of the fetus is expressed both in its low activity and in excessive mobility. The latter leads to umbilical cord entanglement. And multiple tight entanglements of the umbilical cord are the main reason for the complete cessation of oxygen supply to the child and the cessation of its blood supply...

Finally, the main consequence of a cold at 40 weeks of pregnancy: the birth of the long-awaited baby will take place in the observation department. This department is intended for those mothers who have a high temperature (above +37.5°C), who have symptoms of acute respiratory infections or flu, various infections of the birth canal, are carriers of the hepatitis virus. And the child - immediately after birth - is isolated from the mother.

By the way, becoming pregnant after a cold usually does not have any negative consequences.

Symptoms

The first symptoms of a cold during pregnancy are no different from the signs of this disease in the non-pregnant part of humanity. This is a general malaise and headache, then a runny nose begins, the throat is sore and it hurts to swallow, the body temperature rises slightly. The temperature can rise to +38.5°C, although a cold during pregnancy without a fever (or with a subfebrile temperature) is much more common.

A runny nose may be accompanied by a cough and symptoms of general intoxication, which manifest themselves in the form of weakness, loss of appetite and drowsiness. The disease lasts from 5 to 12 days. If you do not start treating the disease in time, complications are possible: pharyngitis, sinusitis or bronchitis.

Treatment of colds during pregnancy

It is necessary to start treating a cold during pregnancy at the first signs of illness. And remember that during the period of bearing a child, most medications, including aspirin, are contraindicated.

But then how to treat a cold during pregnancy? The first to go are proven folk remedies. Since pregnant women cannot steam their feet, steam your hands, and this will make nasal breathing easier. Wrap yourself up, put on woolen socks and get under the blanket: warmth, rest and sleep are good for colds. Don't forget to drink plenty of fluids - hot green tea with lemon and honey, tea with linden blossom, cranberry juice, rosehip infusion, dried fruit compote. Ginger in the form of tea also helps, and not only with catarrhal symptoms, but also with nausea in the morning.

You can often read that you can drink hot chamomile tea or tea with viburnum at night. Of course, you can, but not during the gestational period! It should be emphasized right away that not all herbs can be used for colds during pregnancy. Here is a list of medicinal plants that are contraindicated for use during the entire gestational period: aloe, anise, barberry, elecampane (herb and root), sweet clover, oregano, St. John's wort, wild strawberry (leaves), viburnum (berries), raspberry (leaves), lemon balm, lovage, wormwood, licorice (root), celandine, sage. Accordingly, you should not take drugs containing these plants.

But there is no clear recommendation regarding chamomile (which is often used to normalize the menstrual cycle). According to many experienced herbalists, chamomile during pregnancy can provoke bleeding and is therefore not recommended. Others believe that chamomile can be taken literally throughout the entire gestation period, but no more than two cups a day...

Let's note at the same time that garlic should not be used for colds during pregnancy, unless you crush a clove and breathe in its phytoncides - for a runny nose. The fact is that garlic reduces the absorption of iodine. And a lack of iodine in the expectant mother leads to impaired maturation of the fetus and increases the likelihood of hypothyroidism in the newborn.

At high temperatures, vodka rubs of the body (one third of a glass of vodka, two thirds of water) or vinegar (in the same proportion) help.

If you have a sore throat, you should gargle it more often with a solution of salt - table salt or sea salt (natural food salt): one teaspoon per glass of warm boiled water. Or with solutions of soda (a teaspoon per glass of water) and furacilin (1 tablet per 200 ml of water). Gargling with calendula tincture helps: 10 drops of alcohol tincture per 100 ml of water. You can also use a homemade water infusion: a tablespoon of dried calendula flowers per glass of boiling water.

A sore throat can also be relieved by gargling with the juice of half a lemon diluted in a glass of warm water with a teaspoon of liquid natural honey (the lemon juice can be replaced with two tablespoons of natural apple cider vinegar). By the way, honey is very useful for colds during pregnancy. So a cup of hot milk with a spoonful of honey before bed can relieve a woman from a sore throat and prevent coughing. Lemon (with the peel) and cranberries (in any form) are also very useful.

Some people recommend an alcohol solution of Chlorophyllipt (a mixture of chlorophylls from eucalyptus leaves) for gargling, but the instructions for the drug state that “during pregnancy and lactation, the use of the drug is possible, assessing the benefit-to-harm ratio”…

Inhalations are also effective in treatment. For example, with peppermint oil (menthol) or Zvezdochka balm. You can breathe twice a day (morning and evening) for 15 minutes, covering your head with a towel, over potatoes boiled in their skins, as our great-grandmothers did. And for acute sore throat, make a warm compress with alcohol (1 part alcohol and 2-3 parts water) and hold it until completely dry. You can also lubricate the tonsils with propolis tincture or use Kameton aerosol (there is no reliable data on the safety of Bioparox aerosol during the gestation period).

To treat a runny nose, rinse your nose with salt water or drip a full pipette of it into your nose several times a day (the solution is prepared at the rate of a teaspoon of salt per half a glass of water). You can use Aquamaris or No-Sol, which are solutions of sea salt.

A positive effect is achieved by instilling warm olive, sea buckthorn or menthol oil into the nose (2-3 drops several times a day). And also cotton swabs soaked in onion juice, which must be kept in the nostrils for several minutes 3-4 times a day. Many people manage to get rid of incipient rhinitis almost from the first time with the help of the balm "Zvezdochka", which must be applied to the skin near the "entrance" to the nose.

To overcome a cough, it is best to drink not very hot milk, to which natural honey and butter are added. You need to drink slowly and in small sips. An effective folk remedy for cough is a warm decoction of apple peel with honey or a decoction of figs in milk (4 dried berries per 200 ml of milk). For a dry cough, you can take an infusion of coltsfoot (a tablespoon three times a day), an aqueous infusion of marshmallow, primrose, lungwort or a decoction of thyme (thyme only in the first trimester of the gestation period). To better remove phlegm when coughing, inhalations with soda or Borjomi mineral water are used.

What cold medications can you take during pregnancy?

Doctors often recommend cold medicines during pregnancy – nasal drops, sprays, mixtures, syrups and cough tablets. Their use should be approached with great caution.

For example, drops, ointment and spray Pinosol, judging by the components listed in the instructions, are not dangerous during pregnancy. However, the essential oils in the drug - Scots pine, peppermint, eucalyptus, thymol, guaiazulene (santonica oil) - can cause an allergic reaction with swelling of the nasal mucosa. In addition, butylated hydroxyanisole is listed in the additional ingredients. This is a food additive used to slow down the oxidation of fats. This substance can have a toxic effect on the body; its use in the food industry is prohibited in the EU.

The following cold medicines are contraindicated during pregnancy: Pertussin, Tussin Plus, Joset, Glycodin, Ascoril, Travisil, Bronholitin, ACC, Grippex, Codelac, Terpinkod. You should not use lozenges and pastilles for a sore throat or cough: in addition to plant-based components, they are full of chemicals. As their manufacturers diplomatically write, "there are no contraindications to the use of the drug during the gestational period, however, it should be taken strictly as prescribed by the attending physician, who must carefully weigh the expected benefits for the mother and the potential risks for the fetus."

Now regarding how suppositories are used during pregnancy for colds. For example, Viferon suppositories are used for acute respiratory viral infections (flu, respiratory diseases complicated by bacterial infection), pneumonia, meningitis and sepsis, as well as urogenital infections and herpes (including genital herpes). Rectal suppositories may be used only after 14 weeks from the beginning of conception. This drug contains recombinant human interferon alpha-2, ascorbic acid and alpha-tocopherol acetate and has antiviral, immunomodulatory and antiproliferative effects. It is used to treat various infectious and inflammatory diseases in adults and children (including newborns). In the form of an ointment, Viferon is used to treat herpetic lesions of the skin and mucous membranes. The ointment is applied in a thin layer to the affected areas of the skin 3-4 times a day for 5-7 days.

Some doctors prescribe Genferon. Apparently, in the hope that the same interferon contained in them will increase the woman's immunity. But, firstly, Genferon is used only for urogenital infections and diseases of the genital organs. Secondly, drugs with an immunomodulatory effect cannot be used during pregnancy, since their effect on the fetus is still unknown.

Homeopathy is used only on the recommendation of a doctor. Thus, the homeopathic drug Stodal, which includes mainly herbal ingredients, affects various types of cough and has an expectorant and bronchodilator effect. However, as stated in the instructions, it is "cautiously prescribed during pregnancy and to nursing mothers on strict recommendations of a doctor."

And the instructions for homeopathic suppositories Viburcol state that "pregnancy is not a contraindication to prescribing the drug." These suppositories have analgesic, anti-inflammatory, sedative, and antispasmodic effects. They are prescribed in the complex therapy of acute respiratory viral infections and other uncomplicated infections (including in newborns), as well as for inflammatory processes in the ENT organs and inflammatory diseases of the genitourinary system.

Prevention

All measures to prevent colds during pregnancy are beneficial for the overall health of expectant mothers and their babies. You need to follow simple rules:

• Rule No. 1 - before each exit from the living space, lubricate the nasal mucosa with oxolinic ointment, which must be washed off after returning home.
• Rule No. 2 - limit "visits" to public places, especially during the period of activation of "seasonal" infections, do not hesitate to wear gauze bandages when visiting medical institutions, avoid contact with people with colds, even if they are close relatives.
• Rule No. 3 - harden the body with a contrast shower or pouring cool water (+18-20°C) over your feet.
• Rule #4 - physical activity and fresh air: exercise and yoga, walking at least two hours a day.
• Rule No. 5 - proper nutrition and taking multivitamin complexes recommended by your doctor.
• Rule No. 6 - normalization of bowel function, which will be helped by fresh vegetables and fruits, fermented milk products and bran bread.

Agree, these rules should be followed so that a cold during pregnancy does not darken this special period in the life of a woman and her family.