Intrauterine infection in newborns

The development of intrauterine infection in newborns is quite common. This formulation refers to those infectious diseases that are caused by pathogens that penetrated the fetus, both from the mother herself and from the passage of the baby through the birth canal in the process of delivery. So, at least 10% of all newborns undergo such a pathology. However, in this case, only 12% of all infections are established in the neonatal period , while the rest in neonates are asymptomatic.

Because of what are intrauterine infections developing in babies?

Intrauterine infection in a newborn child can be caused by various pathogens. In most cases this is:

• mycoplasma ;
• viruses;
• chlamydia;
• bacteria;
• mushrooms and protozoa.

These pathogens can penetrate the fetus as with blood (hematogenous pathway), as well as with contaminated amniotic fluid. In this case, the mucous membranes (eyes, lungs) are most often affected first, and then also the skin.

The amniotic fluid can be infected as an ascending way (the infection penetrates the vagina), and descending (from the fallopian tubes, the uterus, if there is an infectious process in them).

How is intrauterine infection treated?

Prevention is very important in the treatment of intrauterine infection in newborns. That is why, even at the stage of pregnancy planning, a woman should exclude the presence of infectious processes in the reproductive system after completing a full examination.

If the infection is detected already during pregnancy, the woman is prescribed treatment that corresponds to the disease.

What are the prerequisites for intrauterine infections?

Depending on the severity and development of the infectious process, the consequences of developing intrauterine infection in newborns may be different. Most often, these are malformations of organs and even organ systems.