Infections and Pregnancy
Reading this article
Topic pages summarize public health information in plain language. They may describe common causes and treatments in general terms; your own plan of care depends on your clinician’s exam, history, and tests. Use what you read here to prepare questions—not to start, stop, or change medications or to self-diagnose.
During pregnancy, some common infections like the common cold or a skin infection do not usually cause serious problems. But other infections can be dangerous to you, your baby, or both. Some infections may lead to preterm birth and low birth weight babies. Others can cause serious illness, birth defects, and lifelong disabilities, such as hearing loss or learning problems.
Some of the infections that can be dangerous during pregnancy include:
- Bacterial vaginosis (BV)
- Group B strep (GBS)
- Hepatitis
- Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
- Toxoplasmosis
- Urinary tract infections
- Yeast infections
- Zika virus
To try to prevent infections:
- Don't eat raw or undercooked meat.
- Don't share food or drinks with other people.
- Wash your hands frequently.
- Don't empty cat litter. Cats can transmit toxoplasmosis.
- Talk to your health care provider about vaccinations.
- If you have sex during pregnancy, use a condom every time.
If you do get an infection during pregnancy, contact your health care provider about how best to protect you and your baby. Only some medicines are safe during pregnancy.