Pregnant women get leprosy, will it spread to the fetus?
February 10, 2019
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Leprosy is an infectious disease that is still found in Indonesia. In fact, Indonesia ranks third in the world with the most lepers. Data from the Ministry of Health in 2017 states, the prevalence of leprosy is 6.08 cases per 100,000 population. Leprosy is a disease that is also accompanied by a negative stigma, making sufferers often shunned because it is considered to be contagious quickly. If there are pregnant women affected by leprosy, he immediately panics because he thinks the fetus is definitely infected. Is this true?
This disease, also known as leprosy or Morbus Hansen, is caused by an infection of the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae. This disease usually attacks the peripheral nervous system, skin, mucous layer (mucosa) of the upper respiratory tract, to the eyes.
Leprosy transmission can occur after close and repeated contact with lepers. Usually, transmission occurs through saliva splashes (droplets) which contain bacteria that cause leprosy. Splashes of saliva can come from people who cough or sneeze, then inhaled by other people.
The appearance of leprosy symptoms can occur in a long time since someone infected with leprosy bacteria, the average lasts after 5 years. Worse, the stigma in people affected by leprosy makes leprosy more difficult to detect early. Some common symptoms that can appear in leprosy include numbness when the skin is touched, nerve enlargement, leg or hand paralysis, thick pale lesions, painless wounds, dry eyes, stuffy nose, nosebleeds, and blindness.
image source https://pixabay.com
Can pregnant women transmit leprosy to their fetus?
You need to know that one of the oldest diseases in the world can be experienced by anyone, including pregnant women. Then, can pregnant women transmit leprosy to the fetus that they contain?
Leprosy transmission does not occur from pregnant women to the fetus in the womb. Even so, there are several reports that mention the presence of Mycobacterium Leprae bacteria detected in placental tissue.
Furthermore, most cases of leprosy occur in newborns who are believed to originate from the transmission of their mothers through air media. This can occur especially if the mother does not receive adequate therapy.
Treatment of leprosy in pregnant women
Pregnant women who have leprosy must continue to get treatment like lepers in general. In principle, the purpose of leprosy treatment is to cure patients, break the chain of transmission, reduce cases of disease, and prevent further disability.
Treatment of leprosy uses multidrug therapy (MDT), which consists of several types of antibiotic drugs, namely rifampicin, dapsone, clofazamine, ofloxacin, and minocycline. Treatment must be done in a disciplined manner within the stipulated period. Discipline in taking drugs can make the bacteria that causes leprosy become stronger, even immune. Stronger bacteria automatically increase the risk of transmission to others.
Pregnant women who get an MDT must continue to get close supervision by a doctor every time they control pregnancy. Because, there are several side effects from using OBT drugs during pregnancy, for example:
This disease, also known as leprosy or Morbus Hansen, is caused by an infection of the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae. This disease usually attacks the peripheral nervous system, skin, mucous layer (mucosa) of the upper respiratory tract, to the eyes.
Leprosy transmission can occur after close and repeated contact with lepers. Usually, transmission occurs through saliva splashes (droplets) which contain bacteria that cause leprosy. Splashes of saliva can come from people who cough or sneeze, then inhaled by other people.
The appearance of leprosy symptoms can occur in a long time since someone infected with leprosy bacteria, the average lasts after 5 years. Worse, the stigma in people affected by leprosy makes leprosy more difficult to detect early. Some common symptoms that can appear in leprosy include numbness when the skin is touched, nerve enlargement, leg or hand paralysis, thick pale lesions, painless wounds, dry eyes, stuffy nose, nosebleeds, and blindness.
image source https://pixabay.com
You need to know that one of the oldest diseases in the world can be experienced by anyone, including pregnant women. Then, can pregnant women transmit leprosy to the fetus that they contain?
Leprosy transmission does not occur from pregnant women to the fetus in the womb. Even so, there are several reports that mention the presence of Mycobacterium Leprae bacteria detected in placental tissue.
Furthermore, most cases of leprosy occur in newborns who are believed to originate from the transmission of their mothers through air media. This can occur especially if the mother does not receive adequate therapy.
Treatment of leprosy in pregnant women
Pregnant women who have leprosy must continue to get treatment like lepers in general. In principle, the purpose of leprosy treatment is to cure patients, break the chain of transmission, reduce cases of disease, and prevent further disability.
Treatment of leprosy uses multidrug therapy (MDT), which consists of several types of antibiotic drugs, namely rifampicin, dapsone, clofazamine, ofloxacin, and minocycline. Treatment must be done in a disciplined manner within the stipulated period. Discipline in taking drugs can make the bacteria that causes leprosy become stronger, even immune. Stronger bacteria automatically increase the risk of transmission to others.
Pregnant women who get an MDT must continue to get close supervision by a doctor every time they control pregnancy. Because, there are several side effects from using OBT drugs during pregnancy, for example:
- Pregnant women who are in the treatment of leprosy are encouraged to consume 5 mg of folic acid which is useful to reduce the risk of reduced folic acid due to consumption of dapsone drugs.
- The use of rifampicin in the third trimester of pregnancy is associated with bleeding events in neonates (newborns).
The combination of antibiotics used properly during pregnancy can help reduce the risk of low birth weight in infants.
So, can a pregnant woman who has leprosy transmit it to her fetus, the answer is no. Even so, prevention measures must still be a top priority. It would be better if you prepare your pregnancy as well as possible. That way, complications of leprosy in pregnancy can be avoided.
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