Lyme Disease and Pregnancy: Know the Facts

Pregnancy is a fun and exciting time, but it is also often a time of worry for many women. Mothers-to-be want what is best for their children, and most will do just about anything to ensure that their babies are getting the best fetal care during development. Questions and concerns are common during all pregnancies, but for women infected with Lyme disease, the stress can be much greater. Naturally concerns of whether or not their illness will affect their unborn child and if their baby is getting the proper nutrients for development abound.

However, since Lyme disease was discovered, there has been no consistent evidence that Lyme disease will have an adverse effect on an unborn child. While there have been some isolated instances of babies being born with congenital defects, there has not yet been a proven link between Lyme disease and pregnancy to show that the abnormalities are a direct result of the mother’s Lyme disease. Several studies have shown that there is no conclusive evidence that an infected mother can pass the disease to her child. In some cases of Lyme disease and pregnancy, however, there have been instances of stillbirth, premature birth and developmental problems that have occurred but have not been clinically proven to be a result of the illness. In studies that have been conducted, most pregnant women who developed Lyme disease and were treated quickly with antibiotics delivered healthy, full-term babies who showed no sign of suffering from the disease.

Even though there is not a known link between Lyme disease and pregnancy and any adverse effects, it is still especially important that pregnant women protect themselves from the disease. During pregnancy, a woman’s immune system is already compromised, so any illness will likely have a more severe effect on a woman’s body. Taking preventative measures is the best and easiest way to do this. Protect yourself from ticks, which are the primary carrier of Lyme disease, by avoiding areas where they are found. Wear clothing that covers most of your body, and tuck your pants into your socks or shoes. If you have long hair, tie it back to make it more difficult for ticks to nestle down inside. If you are outdoors in an area where ticks may be found, check yourself over immediately after you leave the area to make sure that you don’t have any on you.

Experiencing Lyme disease and pregnancy at the same time can be a frightening, stressful and exhausting for a woman, but the same can be said for pregnancy in general. This is not to undermine the seriousness of the illness, particularly during pregnancy, but rather to illustrate that there is no conclusive evidence that Lyme disease and pregnancy are linked by any adverse impacts on a fetus. If you are pregnant and think you may have Lyme disease, talk to your doctor immediately. With antibiotics and a lot of rest, you can both beat the disease and deliver a healthy baby too.

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