On page 193, Dr. Moalem mentions that "more than half a million mothers die of complications resulting from pregnancy". Among the most common causes of death, including hemorrhage, pregnancy-induced hypertension, and pulmonary embolism, is infection. This relates to Big Idea 3: Living systems store, retrieve, transmit, and respond to information essential to life processes. It is essential for the immune system of a birthing mother to respond to infections to avoid death.
Please explain why pregnant women and unborn babies are at high risk for some infections and diseases, and identify 2 specific infections prevalent among birthing mothers. Explain the process of fighting these infections, including each barrier of the immune system. Finally, explain how water birthing can prevent aspiration pneumonia in newborn children (page 203).
My response to Stephanie Li's prompt on Infections during Pregnancy
ReplyDeleteDuring pregnancy, birthing mothers have hormonal changes that try to also protect the baby. Often, this leads to the mother being more prone to infection. Aside from passive immunity, antibodies passed from the mother to the fetus, the mother's hormonal changes suppress her T cells so her body won't recognize the fetus as foreign. In particular, the mother's body compensates by creating more macrophages, big eater cells, while at the same time decreasing NK cells, whose job it is to destroy foreign tissue, T cells, and cytokines which are all part of the cell mediated response against foreign intruders (http://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/infections#1). By doing this, the mother protects her baby by ensuring that her body won't attack it as foreign. This relates to Big Idea 1, the diversity of life and evolution, as it relates to a selective advantage for both the mother and baby. This also relates to Big Idea 3, regarding living systems, as it involves the reproductive cycle.
The two most common infections during pregnancy are yeast infections and urinary tract infections. Yeast infections are caused by an excess of sugar lining the vagina which cause excess amounts of natural bacteria to build up. This causes white discharge that can be uncomfortable. This does not interact with either the humoral response, cell mediated response, or the inflammatory response but results due to the changes in the natural flora that makes up the external barrier of the immune system. Hormonal balances change the food supply of these bacteria causing an excess (http://www.babyinbloom.net/?p=225). Urinary tract infections, however, are not due to changes in the immune system. UTI is caused by higher levels of the hormone progesterone which decreases the muscle tone of the uterus and causes swelling which makes urine flow through slower. This in turn causes the bacteria in urine to multiply more causing infections in both the urinary tract and kidney.
Water birthing prevents aspiration pneumonia as shown by Moalem on pg 203. Babies underwater don't take their first breath until they are taken out of the water because of the "mammalian diving reflex". According to Moalem, "babies delivered underwater don't face that risk-until they're brought to the surface because they don't switch from fetal circulation to regular circulation" (203-204). This delayed first breath allows attendants to wipe of birthing matter that the baby would normally inhale causing aspiration pneumonia. Therefore, water births are less likely to develop aspiration pneumonia.
(Andrew Arceo ibanezrg120ftw@gmail.com)
On page 193, Dr. Sharon Moalem said that in the year 2000 it is "estimated that more than half a million mothers died of complications resulting from pregnancy" (193). Dr. Moalem also says that 99% of these deaths occured in the undeveloped world. A large majority of deaths from pregnancies resulted from infections. As Andrew mentioned above, birthing mothers go through many hormone changes that leave them more succeptable to infections. According to healthline.com, pregnant mothers increase the production of macrophages, but decrease the production of NK cells, cytokines, and T cells. The mother must protect both herself and her baby from infections, so her immune system must make comprimises. (http://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/infections). The NK cells and helper T cells are a vital part of the cell mediated response, and a lower production of these will leave the mother more vulnerable to infections.
ReplyDeleteA newborn baby is also at a higher risk for infections. A newborn's immune system is not developed enough to "fight the bacteria, viruses, and parasites that cause infection" (http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/common/neonatal_infections.html). While the baby was in the mother's womb, it recieved immunity to many diseases that the mother had immunity to. When the baby leaves the womb, it no longer has as much protection, unless it is breastfed. Furthermore, according to helum.com, babies born by C-section are at greater risk for infection than babies born naturally. This is becausebabies who are born naturally are "populated by thier mother's bacteria", which protects them, while babies born by C-section are only "accomodated with the common skin germs" (http://www.helium.com/items/1872197-health-risks-of-cesarean-born-babies). Therefore, these cesarian section babies are at more of a risk for infection. This relates to This relates to Big Idea 3: Living systems store, retrieve, transmit, and respond to information essential to life processes, because both mothers and babies much respond to infections and use their immune system to fight off the viruses.
The most common infections for pregnant mothers are yeast infections and urinary tract infections (UTI). Pregnant women have higher levels of estrogen, which will cause their vagina to produce more glycogen. This will make it easier for yeast to grow, which will unltimately lead to a yeast infection. (http://www.babycenter.com/0_yeast-infections-during-pregnancy_485.bc). Pregnant women become more succeptable to UTIs because hormones cause their urinary tract to change. Also, their uterus will press on their bladder, which makes it hard for all the urine to leave. According to webMD "This stagnant urine is a likely source for infection" (http://women.webmd.com/guide/pregnancy-urinary-tract-infection). As andrew mentioned, these changes will not only effect the urinary tract, but also the kidneys.
One method that was described in the book to prevent aspiration pneumonia is water birthing. This may seem unsafe, but Dr. Moalem assures that "babies don't grasp for air until they feel air on their face" (203). Babies born normally may take their first breath before their face is cleaned off, which would cause them to "inhale fecal matter or 'birthing residue' that can cause an infection in their lungs-aspiration pneumonia". When a baby is born underwater, the doctor will have time to clean the baby's face before it gasps for air, so it won't be breating in any dangerous bacteria.
(julianna holzer - jholzer4@students.d125.org)