In honor of Labor Day, I thought I'd remind people about the effects that STDs can have on pregnancy and newborns. I know that Labor Day is actually a celebration of workers, but I couldn't resist the pun. Plus, I know that most of you are at the beach and not reading my blog today, so I decided to be self indulgent.
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A number of STDs can affect pregnancy outcomes. Common side effects of bacterial STD infections include premature labor and low birth weight. Both of these can potentially have long term effects on infant health. One of the reasons that prenatal care is so important is that it allows doctors to screen for STDs,and other infections -- and treat them before they can have an effect on the pregnancy. STDs that can affect pregnancy outcome include:
More worrisome to many women, however, are the STDs that can be devastating, or even fatal, to an infant. Neonatal infections with herpes and syphilis can be extremely dangerous for an infant -- particularly if they are not caught and treated promptly. HIV can also be transmitted during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
The risk of such infant infections can be reduced, or even eliminated, but only if the mother's infections are identified in a timely manner. Therefore women should tell their doctors if they know they are at risk of contracting an STD from a new or established partner. Doctors should provide STD testing in early pregnancy regardless of risk, but follow-up testing isn't always done as pregnancy progresses. If there's any chance you might benefit from additional testing, let your obstetrician know.
Source: http://std.about.com/b/2012/09/03/stds-in-labor.htm
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