By MotherToBaby and experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) At 16 weeks pregnant, Maria is busy planning a summer trip for her family. But lately, every time she opens her phone, she sees another headline about measles outbreaks. It makes her pause and wonder: What does this mean for me and my baby? What is measles, and why are people worried about it? Measles is a highly contagious virus that spreads through the air when someone who is sick with measles …
The Baby Blog: Infections & Vaccines
How the Tdap Vaccine During Pregnancy Protects Your Baby from Whooping Cough
Pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, is a highly contagious respiratory illness caused by the bacteria Bordetella Pertussis. It spreads through droplets in the air when someone coughs or sneezes. For adults, pertussis can feel like a bad cold with a lingering cough. But for babies, especially those under 1 year old, it can be much more serious. If a baby who is not fully vaccinated gets whooping cough, about 1 in 3 will need to be hospitalized. Complications can include: The good …
RSV in Infants: Prevention Options Every Parent Should Know About
Can you guess the leading cause of infant hospitalizations in the United States? You might think accidents, allergic reactions, or the flu, but the answer is actually respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Every year, RSV sends 58,000 to 80,000 children under the age of 5 to the hospital. Having a baby in the fall or winter has always meant that parents need to be extra careful about RSV. Fortunately, in 2023 two new ways to protect infants against this virus became available: a vaccine given to …
Immunization Education: Everything You Need to Know About Vaccines Before and During Pregnancy
Melissa, pregnant for the first time, live chatted with MotherToBaby through our website: “Hi, I’m 29 weeks pregnant and wondering about vaccines. I have seen so many different things online and I am worried about getting really sick while I’m pregnant. Can you help?” Melissa is not alone. Many people contact MotherToBaby to find the most up-to-date information about vaccines during pregnancy. Protecting yourself from circulating viruses can also help protect your developing baby. Infections …
When Bats Come Calling, Rabies Scare
Rachel called us the morning she woke up and found a bat hanging out in her closet. As far as she could tell, she had not been bitten. She was 10 weeks pregnant and wondered what her next steps should be. Her husband also did not detect any bites. He kindly relocated the bat to the outside of their home, but now they were both exposed to potential rabies infection. She was about to leave for work, and her husband had already left for a busy day at the office. Rachel had been down …
