A Pregnant Woman Who Is An MRSA Carrier

There is no risk to an unborn baby if a pregnant woman is a carrier of MRSA bacteria and does not have an infection.

A Pregnant Woman With An MRSA Infection

There is an extremely small chance that if a pregnant woman becomes infected with MRSA, it could pass onto the unborn baby.

A Pregnant Woman With An MRSA Infection and Childbirth

The risk increases slightly once an MRSA infected pregnant woman goes into childbirth (vaginal birth). There is a small chance that the infection could be passed onto the baby at this stage. However, it must be stressed that the likelihood of this happening remains minimal.

Pregnant women and new mothers should avoid all people known to be infected with MRSA. The possibility that a mother will pass MRSA onto her unborn or newborn baby is low. However, every effort should be made to avoid this risk.

A Pregnant Woman with an MRSA Infection – Harmful or Harmless to a Baby?

There is no substantial evidence to suggest that a pregnant woman with an MRSA infection is more likely to experience a miscarriage. Furthermore, a pregnant woman with an MRSA infection is no more likely to give birth to a baby with a birth defect than a pregnant woman with no MRSA infection. However, it should be stressed that treating an MRSA infection at the earliest possible stage will help towards a healthier pregnancy.

Safe Treatment Of A Pregnant Woman with an MRSA Infection

Treating pregnant women with an MRSA infection is safe for both the mother and baby. There are a number of antibiotics that can be used to treat an MRSA skin infection.

Taking a Course of Antibiotics for an MRSA Infection and Breastfeeding

New mothers can breastfeed whilst on a course of antibiotics to treat an MRSA infection. There are no problems occurring for the majority of breastfed babies whilst their mothers are taking antibiotics. However, it should be noted that some babies might develop an allergy to the antibiotics. In this case a different antibiotic can be prescribed to treat the skin infection.

Passing on an MRSA Infection whilst Breastfeeding

It is possible for an infection to spread from mother to baby when breastfeeding. Whether breastfeeding or not, a baby’s bottles, storage containers and anything else used for or by the baby must be thoroughly washed and sterilised to reduce the risk of passing on an MRSA infection.

Avoiding Someone with an MRSA Infection During Pregnancy

Should the father of the baby, any family member or friend develop an MRSA infection, a pregnant woman is advised to avoid contact.
There are a number of steps that can be taken to reduce the risk of contracting an MRSA infection:

• A pregnant woman should wash her hands with soap and water after direct contact with anyone who has a skin infection;
• A pregnant woman should not share towels, soap, razors (or any other item used to maintain personal hygiene) with someone who is MRSA infected;
• If a pregnant woman needs to wash clothing or bedding used by someone who has an MRSA infection, gloves should be worn;
• A pregnant woman should never touch a person’s sores, cuts or bandages especially if they have an MRSA infection.

Pregnancy and Infected Wounds

If a baby comes into contact with their mothers infected wound or any pus that has originated from that wound, MRSA bacteria can be spread to the child. It is therefore essential that a pregnant woman covers her wounds with bandages to prevent the baby from touching the wound or discharge from it. Furthermore, if the baby comes into contact with clothing or bedding that was previously in contact with the infected area, an infection can be passed on.

In Summary, there is no cause for alarm when dealing with pregnancy and an MRSA infection. There are a number of measures that can be taken to minimise risks and ultimately, an MRSA infection should not impact on a normal healthy pregnancy.