Scarlet fever in pregnancy is not dangerous or puts the baby at risk, however if the pregnant woman is infected shortly before delivery, there is a risk of contaminating the baby at the time of delivery.
In these cases, the pregnant woman should be treated with antibiotics as soon as possible and may need to continue taking the antibiotics during labor to decrease the chances of infecting the baby. In addition, the obstetrician may decide to wait and postpone delivery, if necessary, until the mother stops antibiotics and has completely eliminated the bacteria that causes the disease.
For this reason, it is very important that the pregnant woman take some care during pregnancy not to become infected, especially in the last weeks of gestation.
What to do to not get scarlet fever in pregnancy
For the pregnant woman not to get scarlet fever during pregnancy should mainly avoid contact with children or adults with scarlet fever, avoiding schools, cinemas and malls and, if necessary, wearing a mask, as scarlet fever is transmitted through air, inhaling droplets of coughing or sneezing from a contaminated individual.
In addition, if the pregnant woman has a child with scarlet fever, she should wash the child's clothes separately from the rest of the family and with hot water and soap and disinfect her personal belongings with a gauze or cotton in alcohol.
Generally, scarlet fever is no longer contagious 24 hours after treatment, so these care are essential in the first days that the child or adult gets contaminated.
How To Know That I Have Scarlet Fever in Pregnancy
Scarlet fever is caused by reddish-pink patches on the skin, which may or may not cause itching, fever and red tongue, usually after a pharyngitis, which causes many sore throats.
