BENGALURU: City gynaecologists are seeing at least one case of dengue in pregnant women per week.
Expectant mothers can face complications of early pregnancy loss or preterm labour, stunted foetal growth and low birthweight, or even intrauterine death of the foetus, warned Dr Sunil Eshwar, lead consultant, Obstetrics & Gynaecology Infertility, Aster RV Hospital.
Explaining other severe consequences they might face, Dr Suhasini Inamdar, consultant-obstetrician & gynaecologist, Motherhood Hospital, Indiranagar, Bengaluru, said that antibodies of the dengue virus in expectant mothers can cross the placenta and get transferred to the foetus, which can cause dengue haemorrhagic fever or dengue shock syndrome.
It also increases the risk of any neurologic congenital anomaly in the infant by roughly 50 per cent, and risk for congenital malformation of brain four-fold, she said. Doctors say that during pregnancy, women are vulnerable to infections and diseases due to decrease in immunity. They should protect themselves from mosquito bites by avoiding travelling to areas with widespread dengue cases, areas infested with mosquitoes, ensure mosquito control in their homes, use prescribed mosquito repellents, wear protective clothing, and ensure there is no stagnant water around the house, which can lead to mosquito breeding, say doctors.
“These women should ensure constant monitoring by doctors, pay attention to nutrition, hydration levels and consumption of more fluids to protect the child in the womb from any negative effects. They must include vital salts, essential to keep the body’s vital levels,” said Dr Shilpa Apte, senior consultant, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Apollo Cradle & Children’s Hospital, Koramangala, Bengaluru.
Incessant rain has brought on the dengue outbreak. “At Narayana Health City alone, we are seeing at least 10 suspected dengue cases per day,” said Dr Mahesh Kumar, consultant, Internal Medicine, Narayana Health City.
According to health department sources, this month alone saw 235 confirmed dengue cases in the State and 115 cases in BBMP area of Bengaluru; last month, there were 1,134 cases in the State and 447 cases in Bengaluru. The state-level vector-borne disease death audit committee recently confirmed four dengue deaths so far this year -- two in Udupi and one each in Chikkaballapura and Vijayapura.