Can a sickness and diarrhoea bug in early pregnancy damage the baby?

Can a sickness and diarrhoea bug in early pregnancy damage the baby?2017-02-21T17:02:29+00:00
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There are many causes of diarrhoea in pregnancy. The symptoms that you describe are most likely to be due to either a viral infection or food poisoning. The usual advice would be to have 24 hours of fluids only (drinking plenty of water and diluted juice), and it is certainly safe to take paracetamol if you find this helpful. Dehydration is a serious concern and salt replacement drinks would be a good idea if the diarrhoea continues for more than a few days. If your symptoms persist, it would be wise to send a stool sample to the laboratory to establish whether there is any bacterial infection which might require antibiotic treatment. It would also be a good idea to send a urine sample to the laboratory to exclude a urine infection, as this is common in pregnancy and can cause diarrhoea.

It is unlikely that your baby would be at any risk as a result of either food poisoning or a viral infection (even at this vulnerable stage of pregnancy), and there is nothing else that you should do at this time. If your symptoms are not settling, you should arrange to see your GP so that the problem can be reviewed.

Dr Jo Lee

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