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.

Here is a brief MRSA information pack.

What is MRSA?

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a bacterium that causes difficult to treat infections. It is a more resistant variation of Staphylococcus aureus (SA).

Where is MRSA Found?

About 30% of people in the UK carry MRSA in their nose or on their skin. It does not become a problem unless it enters the body.

Symptoms of MRSA

In the first instance boils, abscesses, sties, carbuncles and impetigo may develop. Once MRSA enters the blood stream Septicaemia, septic shock, lung infection and infection of the heart lining can occur.

The Spreading of MRSA

MRSA can be spread via the hands (skin-to-skin contact), by sneezing or by touching shared equipment that is also used by someone with MRSA.

Information About Hospital Acquired MRSA

Hospital Acquired MRSA strikes around 100,000 people every year, which is about 44% of all cases. This costs the NHS £1 billion annually. Government statistics point to an increase in hospital MRSA of 60% over the past decade. The Office For National Statistics found that MRSA deaths are around 1,650 (recorded in 2005 and 2006).

The Spreading of Hospital MRSA

Inadequate cleaning and hygiene procedures by hospital staff are the main cause of MRSA in hospitals. This is the means by which MRSA bacteria can transfer from patient to patient. Healthcare workers may pick up the bacteria on their clothes or on their hands. Hospital equipment also may not be adequately cleaned.

Community Acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA)

Carriers of CA-MRSA do not necessarily demonstrate symptoms of MRSA. Strains of Staphylococcus aureus (SA) are unable to colonise their hosts for long periods of time before causing infections. CA-MRSA is relatively harmless and if symptoms do occur it may be in the form of boils or minor infections.

‘Killer’ MRSA

In contrast ‘Killer’ MRSA destroys the immune system. It is a rare mutation of MRSA. Symptoms may include pneumonia, very high temperatures and coughing up blood. If it spreads to the lungs only a quarter of victims survive.

Vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA)

VRSA is a rare strain of MRSA that is resistant to Vancomycin. Vancomycin is the drug of last resort and is used when all other drugs have failed to treat MRSA.

Efforts To Combat MRSA

The Labour government have launched a programme that will see hospitals ‘deep cleaned’. However, we have been taking measures to combat MRSA for some time.

In the 1990’s, the NHS was isolating all patients with MRSA and screening all staff. If staff were carrying MRSA, then they would be removed from work until they had undergone eradication therapy.

Since 2004, the ‘clean your hands’ campaign has led to alcohol-based hand rubs being placed at the entrance to wards and near all beds. Staff and visitors are encouraged to wash their hands regularly.

The number of cleaners in the NHS fell from 100,000 in 1984 to 55,000 in 2004. This trend must be reversed if the battle with MRSA is to be won. Furthermore, the contractual arrangements made with the private sector responsible for cleaning hospitals should be reassessed.

The reintroduction of matrons, continuous MRSA education programmes directed at hospital staff and new powers given to hospital nurses to ensure that visitors wash their hands regularly are crucial if we are to be successful in combating MRSA.