Diarrhea during pregnancy dangerous?

The article is professionally consulted by Master. Doctor II Phan Thi Minh Huong - Gastroenterologist - Department of Medical Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec International General Hospital Da Nang.

Diarrhea during pregnancy, if mild, can go away on its own, just rehydration and electrolytes. However, if a pregnant woman has severe diarrhea accompanied by abdominal pain, especially in the first 3 months of pregnancy, it can be dangerous for both mother and fetus.

The cause of diarrhea and abdominal pain is mainly bacterial or viral infection from an unsanitary daily diet.
However, in fact, abdominal pain and diarrhea is one of the common digestive disorders in pregnant women. During pregnancy, women's resistance is often reduced and very weak, so when eating, you need to be very careful, because during this time the digestive system is somewhat weaker.
When eating or drinking contaminated food or water, plus a weaker resistance than usual will create conditions for bacteria to easily enter the body, causing diarrhea in pregnant women.
Sometimes, despite being very careful in eating and drinking hygiene, pregnant women can still have diarrhea due to foods containing some substances that are not suitable for the body's condition and absorption.
Some pregnant women are allergic to fresh milk, strange foods, even eating a lot of fat, indigestible protein, causing digestive disorders, which can also cause the body to expel through diarrhea during pregnancy. pregnant.

Diarrhea during pregnancy can last from 1 to 10 days depending on the cause.
Patients with diarrhea are often accompanied by vomiting. Especially diarrhea caused by cholera bacteria or Rota virus. Excessive diarrhea and vomiting make the patient feel tired, dehydrated and exhausted very quickly, if not treated promptly, it can cause dehydration shock and many dangers, even life-threatening. mother and fetus.
Symptoms of abdominal pain caused by diarrhea are common such as abdominal pain around the navel, sometimes it can be severe and each pain is accompanied by loose stools. The most worrying thing is that the abdominal pain can stimulate the uterus to contract, threatening the safety of the fetus.
Pregnant women have less resistance, so they have more severe diarrhea than normal cases, so the danger is higher. In addition to the harm to the mother's body, the fetus in the womb is also affected if the mother has diarrhea during pregnancy. The mother's fatigue, poor appetite, and exhaustion can cause the fetus to be malnourished, slow to grow, and worse, stillbirth in the womb.
Thus, in case of diarrhea during pregnancy, if not treated promptly, it will be very dangerous. Many cases due to late emergency, having to use many drugs and antibiotics for treatment can cause the mother to have a miscarriage, or the risk of birth defects is also much higher than normal.

Pregnant women, if sick, are often very worried and do not dare to take medicine for fear of affecting the fetus. However, diarrhea during pregnancy can be treated very simply and will not harm the fetus if treated properly.
Mild cases of diarrhea will go away on their own, just take oresol, rehydrate.
Treatment of diarrhea must depend on the cause. If the diarrhea is caused by bacteria, for example, Salmonela bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, etc., the doctor may consider giving the pregnant mother an antibiotic that is safe for the fetus.
However, if diarrhea progresses to severe dehydration, it will be extremely dangerous. Therefore, if a pregnant woman has abdominal pain and diarrhea, especially in the first 3 months of pregnancy, she should go to the doctor as soon as possible to treat the right medicine, at the right dose, and quickly recover from the disease. Do not arbitrarily buy medicine or use drugs recommended by others because many drugs can be harmful to the fetus.

Some measures can help pregnant women reduce the risk of diarrhea during pregnancy:
Drink a lot of water: because diarrhea will make the patient dehydrated. Avoid fruit juices, soft drinks, carbonated drinks... Get more rest: diarrhea causes a lot of trouble and discomfort, the body is always tired. Safe and hygienic eating and drinking: Pregnant women need to eat cooked and drink hot, do not eat raw vegetables that have not been washed, absolutely do not eat salads, blood soup or raw meat... Limit eating at restaurants when they are not really confident about whether the food processing stage ensures food safety or not. Avoid foods that are rich in spices or contain excess fat. Limit sea fish, shrimp, snails or foods that have caused pregnant women to have abdominal pain and diarrhea. Foods to eat: Toast, apple sauce, rice, mashed potatoes (without additives), biscuits, noodles (without additives); bananas, cooked carrots, cooked squash, porridge and oatmeal. These foods are especially good for pregnant women in the first 3 months. Yogurt: This is a pretty healthy food and can help pregnant women repel diarrhea. In case of prolonged diarrhea in pregnant women with other symptoms of fatigue, it is necessary to quickly go to a reputable medical facility for timely examination and treatment by a doctor to avoid affecting the health of mother and baby.
Doctor Huong has over 30 years of experience in the field of Gastroenterology, in which with nearly 20 years holding the position of Deputy Department, Head of Department of Hue Central Hospital. Currently, he is a Doctor of Gastroenterology - Gastrointestinal Endoscopy - General Internal Medicine Department of Vinmec Da Nang International General Hospital.