Food poisoning during pregnancy. What to do during pregnancy in case of poisoning from low-quality products? Sources of food intoxication in the body

Poisoning during pregnancy is a delicate and serious problem for the expectant mother. The feeling of nausea, diarrhea, chills during poisoning is perceived more acutely when the girl is in an interesting position than under normal circumstances.

Firstly, during pregnancy there is a clear fear of losing the child. Secondly, when a woman is poisoned, she may begin to panic because she cannot take the usual remedies for her illness. After all, it is known that they can harm the fetus, including miscarriage.

Therefore, in case of poisoning, it is necessary to strictly follow simple rules that will protect the little man in the womb of the expectant mother from the harmful consequences of the disease.

It is known that poisoning is accompanied by high intoxication of the body. It causes the rejection of harmful substances. This results in symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, chills and fever. Gradually, the body becomes dehydrated: it loses a lot of water and nutrients necessary for the development of the fetus. This can lead to serious illnesses of the child in the womb: impaired blood supply to the fetus, the threat of premature birth, and so on.

Sometimes the severe result of poisoning a pregnant woman can be the loss of a child. This does not happen often, but it does occur in medical practice. The cause of the loss of a child and the death of a mother may be failure to provide first aid in case of poisoning on time.

Thus, a pregnant woman from Moscow felt serious consequences and severe illness in mid-January 2012. Her family, her husband and two young children, were poisoned at dinner. Unfortunately, the daughters could not be saved. And the pregnant woman had to be hospitalized and undergo intensive measures to restore her body. First aid for poisoning became my salvation. Mother and child are now out of danger.

In case of possible poisoning, doctors advise every pregnant woman to have her own personal first aid kit with safe and effective remedies. In case of poisoning, obstetricians-gynecologists try to prescribe a minimum of pharmaceuticals. After all, there is a possibility that they can seriously harm the fetus or cause premature birth. Therefore, there is a practice of using proven folk methods to alleviate the condition before the ambulance arrives.

So, at the first symptoms of poisoning, it is important to cleanse the stomach. Moreover, experts do not advise pregnant women to induce vomiting, but to expect the fluid to be removed naturally. To prevent dehydration, you should drink plenty of fluids and take rehydron. Also remove toxic substances using sorbents. During the Soviet era, activated carbon was used for poisoning. However, now there are more effective and safe means that cannot harm the body of a pregnant woman and her child.

To remove toxic substances that cause acute intoxication from the body, it is now recommended to use enterosorbent Polysorb MP. The drug, due to its fine dispersion, quickly binds and naturally removes toxic substances that cause poisoning from the body. Due to the fact that it is not absorbed into the gastrointestinal tract, the drug is safe for the woman’s body and, most importantly, the fetus.

To treat poisoning during pregnancy, before the ambulance arrives, you should take a double dose of Polysorb MP - 2 tablespoons per ? or? glasses of boiled water. This emergency measure will help save the life and health of the expectant mother and fetus.

After emergency treatment and going to the hospital for poisoning, pregnant women are often advised not to eat for several days. When the symptoms of poisoning (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, chills, fever) begin to subside, you need to slowly start eating wheat bread, porridge and drinking large amounts of liquid. You can also include Polysorb MP in your mother’s diet an hour before or after meals, 1 tablespoon 3 times a day. This therapy will remove the remaining toxic substances from the body and quickly normalize the condition of the fetus and the pregnant woman.

So, poisoning is a rather dangerous situation. However, thanks to the development of modern medicine, it can be solved. Now the expectant mother does not have to worry about the well-being of the fetus during pregnancy during treatment for poisoning. Effective first aid for poisoning can be provided at home, without harming the health of the child and mother. But this measure should not replace a pregnant woman’s visit to the ambulance service. Remember that the life and health of the expectant mother and fetus depends on how effectively and how quickly first aid is provided in case of poisoning.

Every woman should carefully monitor her health while carrying a baby, because the well-being of her unborn child depends on it. When eating certain foods, the expectant mother must be careful, because it can be very dangerous both for her and for the unborn baby. But sometimes it turns out that a woman eats a low-quality or spoiled product, then poisoning occurs during pregnancy: what to do to help yourself and the child?

More often, intoxication does not threaten the life of the fetus, but can cause serious consequences during its further development. Only severe poisoning during early pregnancy is considered dangerous, then the pregnancy often ends in miscarriage. That is why a woman should be careful about her diet.

What can cause poisoning

A pregnant woman's diet should be healthy, balanced, contain all the necessary vitamins for the unborn child, but sometimes a woman has a desire to eat something harmful, completely useless. It is these products that can cause intoxication.

Most often, a woman can become poisoned by eating:

• all kinds of sausages, meat delicacies (see);
• semi-finished products, especially frozen ones, since it is not known when they were actually manufactured;
• sweet cream cakes, various pastries;
• fermented milk products;
• conservation;
• salads with mayonnaise;
• mushrooms

Attention! is considered one of the most severe, especially if it occurred in the first trimester of pregnancy. In the early stages, the placenta has not yet fully formed, toxic substances can penetrate to the embryo. It is for this reason that spontaneous abortion (miscarriage) occurs during mushroom poisoning.

However, you can be poisoned not only by food; there are many cases where a woman was poisoned during pregnancy by substances such as mercury or carbon monoxide. Getting mercury intoxication is easy; all you need to do is accidentally break a mercury thermometer. That is why, for your own safety, it is better to purchase an electronic thermometer at the pharmacy.

A pregnant woman can be poisoned by chemicals. This is also a very severe form of intoxication, because it threatens serious problems with bearing a child.

Read what causes it and how it manifests itself.

What to do if it happened? Can I continue to breastfeed my baby?

Symptoms

The severity of the symptoms depends on the amount of toxins that the pregnant woman has entered the body, but more often the symptoms appear:

• headache;
• heaviness, pain in the lower abdomen;
• general weakness;
• nausea and vomiting;
• diarrhea;
• dizziness;
• chills;
• lack of appetite;
• decreased blood pressure;
• increase in body temperature.

If a woman, then the signs of intoxication will be different: trembling of the hands and legs, severe cough, dizziness, a state of apathy. Carbon monoxide intoxication is manifested by dizziness, pain in the temples, ringing in the ears, and fainting. If intoxicated with these toxic substances, you should immediately call an ambulance.

Consequences of poisoning

Any form of poisoning is a serious stress for the body, especially when carrying a child. The consequences can be severe not only for the woman, but also for the unborn baby (this can negatively affect his future health). Is poisoning in a pregnant woman harmful to the baby?

The most likely consequences could be:

1. Risk of miscarriage.
2. Spontaneous termination of pregnancy.
3. Uterine bleeding.
4. Premature birth.
5. Placental abruption.
6. Fetal hypotrophy (retarded growth and development of the child).
7. Fetal hypoxia (caused due to placental insufficiency).

Considering these serious consequences, a woman should be as careful as possible while carrying a baby and try to avoid cases of overdose.

Help for pregnant women

There are cases when a woman experiences some of the symptoms of poisoning that are not related in any way to intoxication. In fact, it turns out that the woman is pregnant and the signs are pregnancy toxicosis. In this case, you need to know how to distinguish whether it is pregnancy or poisoning.

Intoxication of the body, not related to the ingestion of toxins, occurs in the morning. A woman rarely loses her appetite; in many pregnant women it even increases. With toxicosis, there are no obvious signs of intoxication such as diarrhea, bloating, or abdominal pain. Nausea and vomiting occur mainly when inhaling various odors, for example, fried fish or a once-loved perfume.

Attention! It is very important to be able to distinguish toxicosis in early pregnancy from food poisoning, since taking certain medications can cause significant harm to the embryo.

If a woman is diagnosed with food intoxication, she needs to know what can be done in case of poisoning during pregnancy. In the early stages of pregnancy, and if the poisoning is mild, the woman should be given warm boiled water as often as possible. What can a pregnant woman take if she is poisoned? To get rid of toxins, you need to take some kind of sorbent, for example, Smecta, Polysorb or activated carbon.

How to treat severe poisoning during pregnancy? In severe forms of poisoning, a pregnant woman is given activated charcoal to drink (1 tablet/10 kg of weight), and an ambulance must be called. If necessary, medical workers will perform gastric lavage on the victim, and if there is a threat of miscarriage, they will administer Magnesia. After medical procedures, if the pregnant woman’s condition is satisfactory and does not require a hospital stay, a therapeutic diet is prescribed at home.

What can pregnant women drink if they have severe forms of poisoning? A woman needs to drink as much fluid as possible to replenish her body's water reserves after dehydration. You need to drink only clean water, fruit drinks, compotes. For the first time after intoxication, it is recommended to limit the diet to crackers with dried fruit compote and chicken broth.

Poisoning during pregnancy in the second trimester can be dangerous for the further development of the fetus. Methods of providing assistance are the same as in early pregnancy. But in addition to first aid, it may be necessary to administer medications that will improve blood circulation in the placenta and prevent oxygen starvation of the fetus. In the second trimester, a therapeutic diet and mandatory bed rest are also indicated.

If a pregnant woman is poisoned in the third trimester, what should she do in this case? You need to remember that you cannot induce vomiting yourself, this is fraught with increased uterine tone and premature birth. The victim is put to bed, the adsorbent is given to drink, and the woman is given plenty of liquid to drink.

It is imperative to call an emergency medical team; in most cases of poisoning during pregnancy in the later stages, the expectant mother will require hospitalization in a hospital, where she will receive effective treatment. Also, the woman will be under close medical supervision, and the fetus will undergo the necessary examinations.

Prevention of poisoning

To avoid possible intoxication of the body and not harm the unborn baby, a woman needs to adhere to simple rules:

• wash your hands often with soap, especially before eating;
• eat only high-quality products, always pay attention to their expiration dates;
• You shouldn’t indulge yourself with perishable delicacies, it’s better to eat more fruits;
• do not introduce new exotic foods into your diet;
• be very careful in everyday situations (to avoid overdose of mercury and other chemicals).

Conclusion

Intoxication during pregnancy can be either mild or more severe. Being in an interesting position, a woman should not self-medicate; it is better to entrust her health to doctors, because we are talking about the life and well-being of the baby’s future.

Food poisoning is one of the most common reasons for seeking emergency care at a medical facility. Moreover, only more or less severe cases are subject to recording. How many people don’t go to doctors, preferring to solve the problem themselves?! But it’s one thing if you endanger only yourself, and quite another when you are responsible for the life and health of an unborn child. But food poisoning during pregnancy is a big risk not only for the mother, but also for her baby, who is connected to the mother by one umbilical cord.

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ICD-10 code

A05 Other bacterial food poisoning

Epidemiology

Food poisoning by toxins is one of the most common pathologies, and the bulk of poisoning during pregnancy occurs through the fault of the woman herself (consumption of suspicious foods, including mushrooms, unwashed fruits and berries, failure to comply with hygiene requirements, etc.). This is a problem not only for pregnant women, but they bear the greatest responsibility.

In the first place among toxic infections are poisoning with meat and dairy products (staphylococci), in second place is poisoning with fish and eggs (staphylococcus, salmonella), as well as poisoning with mushrooms, and in third place is with fruits and vegetables. You can become infected with botulism by consuming poor-quality preserved food (in particular canned meat and fish). But seafood can cause non-bacterial types of poisoning.

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Causes of food poisoning during pregnancy

The expectant mother should eat well, because her body now works for two. A pregnant woman's diet must include dairy and fermented milk products, fruits and vegetables, fish, meat and other foods that are healthy in terms of nutritional value. But will all the food products she eats turn out to be useful, because food poisoning, both during pregnancy and during other periods, can be caused even by the dishes we are used to if they are stored incorrectly.

Yes, the most common cause of food poisoning during pregnancy is failure to comply with the timing and temperature conditions when storing various food products. Initially, the products may have been benign, but their improper storage could lead to spoilage of the products, the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria in them that cause intestinal disorders, and the accumulation of toxic substances formed during the life of the same pathogenic microorganisms.

The second cause of food poisoning is the consumption of potentially dangerous products, such as mushrooms, fish, meat, custard or protein cream, preserves, cottage cheese, etc. For example, the health safety of mushrooms is determined not only by their type, but also by the place where they grow. Collected near roads, within industrial cities, in the immediate vicinity of landfills and sedimentation tanks, in radiation hazardous areas, mushrooms are dangerous not only to human health, but often to his life, being a strong source of intoxication or radiation.

Fresh meat and fish can initially be a source of bacterial infection, and even after exposing the product to high temperatures, it will leave a trace in the form of toxins, which are unlikely to be removed by boiling or other methods.

As for creams used in confectionery products, violation of their preparation technology leads to premature spoilage of the sweet product. So, when buying cakes or pastries with a normal shelf life, there is still a chance of purchasing a low-quality product, which is so attractive to children and pregnant women with their sometimes insatiable desire to eat something tasty. And even at home, the preparation of cream is not always subject to strict control by the “cook”.

With canned food the situation is different. High prices for products significantly reduce demand for them, and dishonest manufacturers, distributors or sellers simply beat the dates on stale goods. By purchasing a product with a fake expiration date, the expectant mother, of course, risks her health and the health of her unborn child.

And even when buying a high-quality product with a normal shelf life, you can easily get poisoned if you do not comply with the open storage conditions. We also risk it if, after opening the canned food, we leave it stored in a tin can.

Risk factors

Well, let's sum it up. Risk factors for food poisoning can be considered the consumption of the following foods, which, under some conditions, are fertile ground for the growth of bacteria:

• Milk, dairy and fermented milk products, especially cottage cheese, poisoning with which is considered one of the most severe food poisonings, especially dangerous during pregnancy.
• Pastries with cream, homemade cream.
• Fresh meat and fish, as well as dishes prepared from them, even after heat treatment.
• Sausages if stored improperly.
• Meat broths, soups, borscht, fish soup, which are stored without refrigeration (or in the cold for a long time).
• Salads and vinaigrettes, especially if they have already been seasoned with mayonnaise or sour cream.
• Preservation (mold in the jar, swollen lids indicate spoilage of the product), canned fish, especially those with almost expired expiration date.
• Berries, some types of vegetables and fruits if stored improperly.

Risk, of course, is a noble cause, but not in this situation, when it comes to the health of present and future generations.

Pathogenesis

The development of symptoms of intoxication during food poisoning, including during pregnancy, occurs under the influence of one or more negative factors, united under the common name - toxins.

Based on pathogenesis, food poisoning can be divided into:

• Bacterial (microbial), when the product enters the body with some type of bacteria (Staphylococcus, Salmonella, Clostridium botulism, Clostridium perfringens and other less common infections), which release toxins during their life processes. By the way, the bacteria themselves may no longer exist at the time of eating, but the toxins will not go away.
• Non-bacterial (non-microbial), if the product contains toxins initially (potentially toxic products), received them from the outside, or toxic compounds were formed as a result of a violation of food preparation technology.

Toxic contamination of products depends on the type of infection. Thus, staphylococci produce enterotoxin, salmonella secretes the toxin TTSS-1, which is dangerous even for itself, clostridium botulinum forms spores and produces a strong and very dangerous exotoxin for humans, clostridium perfringens also produces spores and alpha toxin.

Staphylococcal infection is still considered the most common. Moreover, products contaminated with it are no different in taste, smell and color from ordinary uncontaminated ones. The bacteria are quite resistant to aggressive factors: they can withstand high concentrations of sugar and salt and die at temperatures not lower than 80 degrees. Its toxin is even more temperature resistant. Enterotoxin is destroyed if the product is boiled at 100 degrees for at least 1.5 or even 2 hours.

Enterotoxin, starting to act already in the stomach, is capable of increasing gastrointestinal motility, which leads to vomiting and diarrhea, and negatively affects the functioning of the cardiovascular system, greatly reducing blood pressure.

Salmonella are capable of secreting the TTSS-1 toxin, which kills competitors, some of the bacteria themselves and negatively affects the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, causing intestinal inflammation and other pathologies.

Alpha toxin produced by Clostridium perfringens damages the intestinal mucosa, impairs the absorption of nutrients, penetrates into other organs and leads to damage to the vascular wall, liver, kidneys, spleen, and lungs.

Botulism toxin cannot withstand strong heat, but Clostridium botulism spores die only after 5 hours of boiling. Exotoxin is not subject to destruction by digestive enzymes; it is absorbed both in the stomach and intestines with subsequent distribution throughout the body. The cholinergic parts of the central nervous system are especially affected, stopping the process of acetylcholine production in which leads to paralysis of various muscles.

Symptoms of food poisoning during pregnancy

The general symptoms of food poisoning during pregnancy are no different from the manifestations of the disease in other periods of a woman’s life. But there is a high probability that the disease will not be recognized immediately, mistaking food poisoning for banal toxicosis in the early or late stages of pregnancy.

The main symptoms or first signs of food poisoning, reproduced in the order in which they appear:

• nausea followed by vomiting,
• stomach pain, cramps and colic
• the appearance of dyspeptic symptoms: bloating, belching of rotten eggs in a healthy person,
• diarrhea.

The appearance of the above symptoms may be accompanied by chills, fever (in severe poisoning to critical values), general malaise (weakness and dizziness, even fainting, decreased blood pressure, sometimes headaches).

Symptoms will largely depend on the severity of the poisoning. Food poisoning during pregnancy, especially in the early stages, which occurs in a mild form, is often confused with manifestations of early toxicosis. Mild poisoning often occurs with an incomplete symptomatic picture. One or two symptoms may be absent, such as vomiting, belching, fever, diarrhea. The pressure usually remains normal.

Unlike food poisoning, toxicosis is not associated with food intake, although attacks of nausea are often triggered by the taste, sight or smell of food. Toxicosis is characterized by attacks of morning vomiting, while diarrhea and increased body temperature are not observed.

The condition is unstable with repeated periods of improvement and deterioration of well-being, while in case of poisoning the malaise is long-lasting.

The onset of toxicosis cannot be called sudden; symptoms increase gradually over several days. On the contrary, poisoning is characterized by suddenness. And, despite the fact that the first signs can appear either half an hour or an hour later, or several days after eating poor-quality food (it all depends on the incubation period of a certain type of bacterial infection), multiple symptoms actually appear one after another within a few hours.

In late pregnancy, and especially before childbirth, the picture changes in the opposite direction. Some women experience vomiting, loose stools, and headaches on the eve of childbirth, which resembles the symptoms of poisoning. It is very important to distinguish between these two conditions by seeking help from specialists. After all, treatment of non-existent poisoning is no less dangerous for a pregnant woman and fetus than the lack of appropriate treatment if poisoning does occur.

Stages

Any food poisoning goes through the following clinical stages in its development:

1. Latent period. It can also be called a hidden, asymptomatic or even incubation period for the development of a pathological process. It lasts from the moment of consumption of poor-quality food until the appearance of a complete clinical picture of the pathology.

This stage is considered optimal for starting therapeutic measures, since toxins have not yet entered the bloodstream and intoxication of the entire body has not begun.

1. The toxicogenic period or the period of developed symptoms, in which the main symptoms of poisoning come to the fore. It begins with the appearance of signs of poisoning and ends with the removal of bacteria and harmful toxins from the body.
2. Period of late complications. Toxins and bacteria have been removed from the body, but the pathological processes launched by them in various organs and systems of the body are in the stage of active development.
3. The recovery period (also known as the revalescence period). The longest period when the body slowly recovers from toxic exposure with treatment for its consequences, which often make themselves felt for many years.

The greatest danger to the mother and fetus during food poisoning that occurs during pregnancy is the second toxicogenic stage, which causes the greatest number of complications, in some cases reminiscent of themselves throughout life. Therefore, it is so important to seek help as early as possible, before the poison has yet begun its destructive effect.

At the slightest suspicion of poisoning, a pregnant woman should immediately contact a medical facility where she will receive the necessary assistance. To speed up the process of prescribing an effective treatment, it is important to presumably indicate which product could cause such a condition.

Forms

All food poisoning that occurs during pregnancy or at other times can be divided into:

• Bacterial food poisoning (both bacteria and their toxins have a negative effect): salmonellosis, staphylococcal food poisoning, botulism, toxic infections caused by Clostridium perfringens, including antibiotic-associated diarrhea, necrotic enteritis, etc.
• Food poisoning of a non-bacterial nature (the poisonous effect of toxins without an infectious agent): poisoning with mushrooms, berries, herbs, solanine (a mixture of toxins that form under the skin of green or sprouted potatoes), fruits and vegetables grown in environmentally unfavorable areas, etc.
• Poisoning of unknown etiology.

Poisoning by certain types of fish, seafood and food additives can be considered a separate subtype of non-bacterial poisoning. The appearance of poisons in the meat of mackerel fish, cyagutera, black mussels, and scallops is associated with their food preferences. These poisons affect humans differently. Some can cause some kind of allergic reaction, others have a nerve-paralytic effect and disrupt the functioning of the digestive system.

Food additives, often used in Chinese restaurants, can cause an allergic reaction accompanied by intestinal disorders for an organism unaccustomed to such food.

Most often, from the complaints of pregnant women, you can learn about poisoning from dairy products, fish, meat, sausages, creams, compotes, as well as other products due to improper storage.

The latter is especially true in the summer, when food spoils very quickly. Hence, there are quite frequent cases of watermelon poisoning during pregnancy. Under the influence of heat, fermentation processes begin quite quickly in the sweet berry, causing the growth of pathogenic bacteria. Let a watermelon sit in a warm place for a couple of hours and there is a high chance of getting food poisoning.

It must be remembered that during pregnancy any type of food poisoning is considered dangerous. Bacterial and toxic effects on the mother’s body pose a great threat to the fetus, both in terms of the course of pregnancy and in the sense of a high probability of abnormalities in the development of the unborn baby.

Watermelon poisoning can be classified as both bacterial and non-microbial toxicosis. After all, it can be caused both by bacteria that appear as a result of spoilage of the product, and by the presence of harmful substances in the product - nitrates coming from fertilizers.

Another fairly common type of poisoning during pregnancy is poisoning from fish and seafood, most often due to improper storage.

Fish is an easily digestible and very healthy food product that can be prepared in various ways, including salting, smoking and drying. It is in the latter methods of preparation that the whole danger of contracting botulism or salmonellosis lies, which can lead to pregnancy failure. Not to mention Chinese delicacies in the form of fresh fish.

And even if the fish is subjected to prolonged heat treatment, but then stored in unsuitable conditions, fertile ground is created for the proliferation of a bacterial infection, which subsequently becomes the cause of food poisoning.

But the most dangerous case of toxic effects on the body during pregnancy is considered to be mushroom poisoning, which, fortunately, is not so rare. Nevertheless, mothers, in anticipation of the birth of their baby, become more careful in choosing foods and dishes that are also a source of vitality for her and the child.

Very rare cases of poisoning by poisonous mushrooms are fraught with serious consequences for both, and in some cases even fatal for the pregnant woman and her baby. Non-poisonous mushrooms, for various reasons, have accumulated toxins that penetrate the placenta and will also leave their mark, causing a miscarriage, premature birth in a woman, or developmental pathologies in her child.

Among other things, mushrooms are considered heavy food, which can themselves provoke intoxication due to their slow passage through the digestive tract with the formation of toxins.

During pregnancy, food poisoning from berries and herbs often occurs. In such a delicate time, many people prefer herbal medicine, considering plants less safe for the unborn baby than synthetic drugs. All this is true, but not all medicinal herbs are so harmless. Take, for example, wolf's bast, datura, celandine, immortelle, larkspur, wrestler, etc.

Some plants and their fruits are not poisonous (such as black elderberry), but during pregnancy it is better to refrain from traditional medicine and drinks based on them.

So before brewing a medicinal infusion, you need to consult a doctor about the possibility of using such a medicine and its safe dosage.

Complications and consequences

Consequences and complications of food poisoning usually appear during pregnancy, but they can be felt for many years to come. Moreover, the risk to the fetus from mushroom poisoning often significantly exceeds the likelihood of severe pathology or death in a woman.

Severe food poisoning during early pregnancy is fraught with termination of pregnancy (spontaneous miscarriage), delayed physical and mental development of the fetus due to dehydration, disturbances in blood composition and weakening of cardiac activity (drop in blood pressure), causing fetal hypoxia. The consequence of food poisoning can be the fading of pregnancy in the early and middle stages.

If serious food poisoning occurs late in life, there is no less cause for concern. Intoxication can cause premature birth, cause placental insufficiency, which is dangerous to the life and health of the child, and developmental pathologies, manifested in the discrepancy between the weight, height and general development of the baby and the established period of pregnancy.

This is not to say that food poisoning will not affect the woman herself. But here the dependence of the consequences on the type of bacterial infection and the severity of poisoning is clearly visible.

Doctors consider poisoning from poisonous mushrooms to be a particularly severe food poisoning during pregnancy, causing intoxication of the mother and fetus due to the passage of toxins through the placental barrier.

Bacteria from the genus Clostridia cause particularly severe consequences in the form of botulism, characterized by paralysis of the respiratory system, or necrotic enteritis, in which the mucous membrane of the small intestine dies. Both diseases are considered life-threatening. The fatal outcome in both cases is about 30%.

Dangerous complications of food poisoning include infectious-toxic shock requiring emergency care, various circulatory disorders (there is a risk of myocardial infarction and the development of cerebral ischemia), pneumonia, and acute renal failure.

But it’s not just bacteria and toxins that pose a danger. Diarrhea and vomiting with any food poisoning invariably lead to dehydration to varying degrees. As a result, the risk of blood clots due to blood thickening increases.

Along with the loss of fluid in the body, an active process of loss of salts and minerals occurs. As a result, the water-salt balance is disrupted, and the expectant mother loses the vitamins and minerals necessary for the normal development of the child.

Loss of fluid leads to a decrease in the volume of circulating blood and an increase in the concentration of oxytocin, the hormone responsible for uterine contractions, which poses a threat of premature birth.

It is worth saying that if the process of intoxication is captured at the very beginning, when toxic substances have not yet spread with the blood throughout the body, and all measures are taken to remove poisons from the body, various complications that affect not only the digestive system can be avoided. Otherwise, the nervous, cardiovascular, respiratory, excretory systems, and primarily the body’s main filter, the liver, may suffer.

Diagnosis of food poisoning during pregnancy

The health and life of not one person, but two at once, depends on the timely and correct diagnosis of food poisoning during pregnancy. Assuming such responsibility, the doctor must not only make an accurate verdict, but also try to reduce as much as possible the negative consequences of food poisoning by prescribing treatment that is effective and safe for the unborn child.

The main directions for diagnosing food poisoning during pregnancy are:

1. taking an anamnesis with studying the patient’s complaints,
2. laboratory research.

With the first point, everything seems to be clear. What did you eat, at what time, when did the first symptoms appear, what was the situation at the time of seeking help, etc. The answers to these questions will help to recreate the expected picture of poisoning without specifying the causative agent. To combat mild to moderate intoxication, this would seem to be sufficient. But in severe cases and if an intestinal infection is suspected, additional research is required.

In any case, laboratory tests will help clarify the picture:

• general blood analysis
• blood biochemistry
• general urine analysis
• scatological examinations of stool, including bacterial cultures to determine the pathogen and to identify possible disorders of the intestinal microflora. They will also help assess the efficiency of the digestive system, in particular the process of digesting food.

General and biochemical blood tests, as well as a urine test, are carried out in order to detect a possible inflammatory process, disturbances in the functioning of the liver, kidneys and other organs and systems of the body, which are determined through laboratory tests.

Instrumental diagnostics for food poisoning are not always used. However, in some cases, the doctor may prescribe an abdominal ultrasound and retromanoscopy (examination of the rectum and part of the sigmoid colon) to the expectant mother.

If there is every reason to suspect botulism, electromyography is prescribed to determine the likelihood of severe complications.

In mild cases, a diagnosis in a medical facility by a medical specialist may not be necessary. The symptoms of food poisoning are quite obvious, and if there is also reason to suspect it, the issue will resolve itself.

Mushroom poisoning during pregnancy is a special case, requiring mandatory medical examination and immediate treatment before the toxins reach the fetus.

You should also seek medical help if you experience symptoms such as breathing and speech problems, heavy eyelids, and infrequent urination some time after eating. Also considered suspicious symptoms are: diarrhea for more than 1 day, a yellow tint to the skin and whites of the eyes, the appearance of rashes, swelling in the joints, signs of dehydration (too dry skin, cracked lips, sunken eyes, scanty urine or its absence).

Differential diagnosis

The need for differential diagnosis in food poisoning arises from the similarity of the symptoms of intoxication with other pathologies. Moreover, some diseases are not even related to the functioning of the digestive system.

Symptoms similar to food poisoning are observed in acute appendicitis: constant pain in the lower abdomen on the right side, intensifying while walking, bending, coughing, fever some time after the onset of pain, stool with diarrhea is not watery, but in the form of mush, possibly vomit. A blood test shows an elevated level of neutrophil leukocytes.

Abdominal colic, vomiting, bloating due to increased gas formation, fever and diarrhea can also be observed with mesenteric thrombosis developing against the background of intestinal ischemia. But the stool is characterized by alternating constipation and diarrhea; there is often an admixture of blood in the stool.

Food poisoning during pregnancy may resemble manifestations of acute cholecystitis or cholecystopancreatitis. Abdominal colic, vomiting, chills resemble poisoning, but diarrhea is most often absent, and the pain is localized in the right hypochondrium, radiating to the back.

Food poisoning must also be differentiated from manifestations of diabetes mellitus, cholera, shigellosis, acetonymic ketosis and other pathologies.

Some symptoms resembling poisoning may be observed in pregnant women on the eve of childbirth. And here, too, it is very important not to make a mistake.

Treatment of food poisoning during pregnancy

Intoxication due to consumption of poor-quality food in the majority of cases is treated at home. Hospitalization may be required only in severe cases.

The effectiveness of treatment of any food poisoning primarily depends on the time of onset of therapeutic actions. It costs you more to procrastinate here. But you shouldn’t overdo it either.

So, during pregnancy, you should not rush to rinse your stomach if symptoms of food poisoning appear. In the presence of vomiting and diarrhea, harmful substances will leave the body on their own; the main thing is not to stop the above symptoms unless their manifestation is excessive.

Sorbent preparations will help reduce intoxication of the body. Activated carbon is considered the most popular and accessible of them, however, to achieve a positive effect you need to drink a decent amount of it (the recommended dose is 1 tablet per 10 kg of the patient’s weight).

Any other medicines that have the property of binding and removing toxic substances from the body are also suitable: Enterosgel, White Coal, Polysorb, as well as antidiarrheal drugs with adsorbing and regulating intestinal microflora properties, Smecta and Enterol.

"Enterosgel"- enterosorbent in the form of a paste, packaged in packs and tubes. Effective against poisoning and intestinal infections. You need to take the drug in the amount of 1 sachet or 1 ½ tbsp. l., designed for one dose. The frequency of taking the drug is 3 times a day. The drug should be taken one to two hours before or after meals with water. The therapeutic course is usually 3-5 days.

The drug is not prescribed for intestinal atony and in case of individual intolerance to the components of the drug. Nausea and constipation may occur while taking Enterosgel.

Enterosorbent "Polysorb" Available in powder form in bags or jars. Before use, the powder is diluted in a quarter or half a glass of water. The dosage of the drug depends on the patient’s weight and is determined at the rate of 0.1-0.2 g per 1 kg of the patient’s body weight per day. It is recommended to take the drug 3 or 4 times a day 1 hour before meals or medications. On average, a single dose of the drug corresponds to 1 sachet (3 g) or 1 tbsp. l. with a slide.

Contraindications to the use of the drug are ulcerative lesions and bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract, intestinal atony, hypersensitivity to the drug. Taking the drug may be accompanied by allergic reactions or constipation.

"Smecta"- antidiarrheal drug in powder form with orange and vanilla flavor. Taken as part of complex therapy for severe diarrhea caused by intestinal infection or consumption of poor quality food.

A suspension for oral administration is prepared by dissolving the contents of 3-6 packets in 0.5 glasses of water. The daily dose is drunk in 3 doses. Therapeutic course – from 3 days to a week.

The medicine is not prescribed for intestinal obstruction, fructose intolerance, or individual sensitivity to the components of the medicine.

To treat diarrhea, it is enough to take 1-2 capsules of the drug 2 times a day for 3-5 days.

Pregnancy is not a contraindication to taking the drug, but consultation with a doctor in this case is required.

Diarrhea and vomiting due to food poisoning contribute to rapid loss of fluid and the onset of dehydration, which is especially dangerous during pregnancy. Among other things, minerals that are so necessary for the fetus are lost along with the water.

To replenish the fluid supply, non-carbonated mineral water is suitable, as well as special preparations "Hidrovit", "Regidron", "Normohydron" etc. But vitamins and vitamin-mineral complexes for pregnant women will replenish the beneficial substances lost with liquid.

Antibiotics for bacterial poisoning are very rarely prescribed, except in severe cases of botulism or salmonellosis. Sometimes they are used to treat persistent diarrhea and vomiting. But the selection of drugs during pregnancy is more careful than usual, because we are talking about the safety of the new life maturing in the womb of a woman.

Traditional treatment and homeopathy

When it comes to unconventional treatment of food poisoning during pregnancy, you need to understand that it is effective only in mild stages of the pathology. In difficult situations, alternative treatment is applicable only in conjunction with drug therapy.

And yet, traditional medicine recipes can significantly alleviate the condition of the expectant mother.

To eliminate nausea, a dill decoction is perfect (1 tsp of herb per glass of water, boil for a quarter of an hour), which should be drunk 30 minutes before meals in the amount of ½ cup, adding half a tablespoon of honey.

High-quality black tea with toast made from black bread will help neutralize any toxins without medication. For the same purpose, pharmaceutical seaweed powder is added to food.

The juice of 3 lemons with sugar will help quickly cope with most symptoms of food poisoning. It will also prevent the spread of the infectious process in the intestines.

Herbal treatment comes down to drinking tea based on chamomile, mint, marshmallow flowers and leaves. In the first days, teas can replace other foods, giving rest to the exhausted stomach and intestines.

But to begin treatment of food poisoning during pregnancy, when it is undesirable to rinse the stomach or induce vomiting on your own due to the threat of miscarriage, is better with the help of homeopathy medications. An important condition for this is a consultation with a homeopathic doctor and compliance with all his instructions regarding the dosage and method of use of the drugs.

For any food poisoning accompanied by cramping abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, belching, chills, the drug Nux Vomica will be useful.

If poisoning with meat or fish is accompanied by weakness and diarrhea, you can resort to the help of the homeopathic drug Arsenicum album.

In case of poisoning with meat, fish and seafood, accompanied by a feeling of heat or cold inside, you can take Carbo vegetalis or Pulsatilla. The latter is effective for poisoning with fatty foods if the diarrhea has a different color and consistency.

• Careful food selection. You cannot buy them in spontaneous markets; when purchasing, you need to pay attention to the appearance of the product, smell, production date, terms and storage conditions.
• Compliance with hygiene requirements. You need to wash your hands not only before eating and after visiting public places, but also before preparing food.
• Proper food storage. Compliance with temperature conditions and acceptable proximity. You cannot store raw foods together with cooked ones. Ready-made meals can be stored outside the refrigerator for no more than 2 hours.
• Cooking. Try to thoroughly cook most products whenever possible.
• Maintaining cleanliness in the living area and especially in the room for preparing and eating food.
• Food safety. Refrain from consuming potentially dangerous products (dried fish, mushrooms, etc.).

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During pregnancy, a woman tries to eat right and lead a healthy lifestyle in order to bear the fruit and give birth to a healthy child. But even an expectant mother is not immune from food poisoning during pregnancy, which can be caused by expired or contaminated foods. Moreover, the body of pregnant women is more sensitive to various toxins.

Intoxication not only worsens the well-being of the expectant mother, but also during pregnancy, poisoning negatively affects the development of the fetus. Poisoning is especially dangerous in the first trimester of pregnancy. Therefore, women need to know what foods can cause poisoning and how to treat.

Symptoms of intoxication and first aid

Food poisoning during early and late pregnancy can occur after consuming sausages, perishable confectionery, fermented milk, and canned products. It is better for the expectant mother to refuse salads dressed with mayonnaise, meat, poorly prepared fish, and mushrooms.

Poisoning is manifested by the following symptoms:

• Lack of appetite;
• Weakness;
• Nausea, vomiting;
• Abdominal pain;
• Flatulence, diarrhea;
• Sometimes body temperature rises.

Severe intoxication is accompanied by chills, weakness, and headache.

Some women experience decreased blood pressure, dizziness, and lightheadedness.

If such symptoms of poisoning occur in pregnant women, treatment must be started. In case of mild poisoning, you can help the victim at home. But severe intoxication requires immediate hospitalization.

If a pregnant woman is poisoned, first aid must be provided:

• First of all If you are intoxicated, you need to drink more fluids. The best option is boiled water. During vomiting and diarrhea, the risk of dehydration increases. This condition is dangerous, since the volume of blood that flows to the fetus and delivers nutrients to it is reduced. To replenish the amount of fluid, you can prepare rice water or add a little salt to boiled water, as it retains fluid in the body. Due to fluid loss, oxytocin (a hormone) begins to be produced, which provokes premature birth;
• On one's own It is not recommended to induce vomiting, since spasms increase the tone of the uterus, and this threatens bleeding or even miscarriage. In addition, the stomach is able to cleanse itself naturally. Ordinary boiled water will help speed up the cleansing of the body from toxins;

• After cleansing the stomach and intestines, it is recommended to take sorbents that bind remaining toxins and accelerate their removal to the outside. For this purpose, you can take Activated Carbon, Enterosgel, Polysorb, etc.;
• The victim should drink water at intervals of 15–20 minutes, but in a minimal volume, until the feeling of dry mouth completely disappears. A pregnant woman can also drink pharmaceutical solutions of minerals.

Expectant mothers should also not take antibacterial agents, since the body can easily cleanse itself. In case of severe poisoning, which is accompanied by fever and severe vomiting, you cannot do without medical help!

What can pregnant women eat if they are poisoned?

A few hours after the end of vomiting, the pregnant woman should eat a little. First, in case of poisoning, pregnant women can drink strong tea with sugar, and then vegetable broth with crackers.

It is dangerous for expectant mothers to go hungry, since the fetus must receive useful substances from food. The diet should include foods rich in carbohydrates and proteins.

During the first 2–3 days it is better to consume vegetable soups, crackers, low-fat broths. A little later, in case of poisoning, pregnant women can eat stewed or boiled vegetables, porridge with water. It is better to exclude fish, meat, raw vegetables and fruits from the menu. It is better to avoid animal products for 10 days after intoxication.

After complete recovery, the pregnant woman can visit a doctor who will conduct an examination and advise on nutrition. To restore the body after poisoning, pregnant women are recommended to take a vitamin-mineral complex, also only for medical reasons.

To avoid food poisoning in the future, you must follow these rules:

• Wash your hands before eating, after going outside, using the toilet;
• Before consumption, thoroughly wash vegetables and fruits;
• Buy only natural, high-quality products, check expiration dates;
• It is better to avoid perishable foods (eggs, milk and fermented milk products, canned goods, confectionery, sausages).

If these rules are followed, the likelihood of intoxication is reduced.

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Features of treatment for botulism, staphylococcus and salmonellosis

Staphylococcal infection most often provokes poisoning. Microbes multiply when food storage rules are violated. If a pregnant woman is poisoned in the early stages, first of all they give activated carbon. In severe cases, gastric lavage may be prescribed. However, the procedure must be supervised by a doctor who constantly measures the woman’s blood pressure and checks the activity of the fetus. To prevent spontaneous abortion, the victim is administered Magnesia or Papaverine.

To avoid dehydration, you need to drink tea, compotes, saline solutions (Regidron).

For hypotension, caffeine is administered, which normalizes placental blood circulation. In case of repeated vomiting, the patient is prescribed drips with saline solutions. In this case, the doctor must monitor the ionic composition of the blood.

If poisoning occurs in late pregnancy, then treatment is carried out according to the same principle: diet, sorbents, drinking plenty of fluids. After 36 weeks, Magnesia is contraindicated for the patient. If there is such a need, the pregnant woman is prescribed medications that improve placental blood flow.

If intoxication is caused by food contaminated salmonella, then you need to follow the same plan: sorbents, saline solutions and plenty of fluids, diet, and antibiotics if necessary. The symptoms and severity of the disease depend on the part of the gastrointestinal tract that is affected. A pregnant woman needs to be hospitalized if the disease is moderate or severe. For mild salmonellosis, you need to visit a therapist or infectious disease specialist.

In case of botulism, the pregnant woman is urgently hospitalized. The victim must have her stomach washed and cleansing enemas performed. For 3 days after poisoning, the patient must be administered anti-botulinum serum.

In case of complications (pneumonia as a result of reflux of stomach contents into the trachea), antibacterial drugs from the penicillin group are used. In addition, the patient is administered solutions and prescribed medications that accelerate urination.

If necessary, cardiac medications are administered. Vitamin therapy is also indicated. If breathing is impaired, treatment is carried out under pressure using oxygen. If necessary, tracheostemia (dissection of the trachea to reduce airway obstruction) or mechanical ventilation (artificial lung ventilation) is prescribed.

Consequences of intoxication for the pregnant woman and fetus

Complications of intoxication may occur during pregnancy, but this risk also exists in the future. Mushroom poisoning is considered the most dangerous, then the child’s development is disrupted, and the mother herself may die.

Doctors highlight the following consequences of intoxication:

• Spontaneous abortion;
• Digestive disorders, slowing down the supply of nutrients to the fetus;
• Premature birth, which occurs due to contractions of the uterus;
• Intense hemorrhage;
• Mental and physical delayed fetal development;
• Disturbance in blood composition;
• Deterioration of heart function;
• Oxygen starvation of the fetus.

In addition, after food poisoning of the body, there is a risk of fetal death. Severe intoxication threatens premature birth, placental insufficiency, and congenital malformations of the child.

If the height and weight of the fetus do not correspond to the term, then it is possible that poisoning has affected it.

Botulism is especially dangerous for the life of an expectant mother. With this pathology, the likelihood of paralysis of the respiratory organs and necrosis of the jejunal mucosa increases. In the absence of proper therapy, death is possible.

At dehydration poses a risk of blood clots. Along with the fluid, minerals and salts are washed out of the body, which causes an imbalance in the water-salt balance. This condition threatens to slow down the development of the fetus.

Intoxication during pregnancy is a very dangerous condition.

When the first symptoms of poisoning appear, you must consult a doctor or provide assistance to the victim. It is important not to allow toxins to enter the blood, then dangerous complications can be avoided.

Vegetables and fruits that are not thoroughly washed, food that is put in the refrigerator at the wrong time - all this can lead to poisoning.

Signs of poisoning

Most often, the signs of poisoning do not differ between pregnant and non-pregnant women. These include:

• nausea;
• vomit;
• diarrhea;
• weakness;
• headache;
• increased body temperature;
• increased gas formation in the intestines;
• chills;
• lowering blood pressure;
• dizziness.

In late pregnancy, not all of these signs indicate poisoning. For example, loose stools and vomiting may indicate the onset of labor. Therefore, during pregnancy you should not self-medicate.

Treatment of poisoningduring late pregnancy

As a rule, treatment of poisoning during pregnancy is standard. The first thing to do when signs of poisoning appear is to call the specialist who is managing the pregnancy and discuss further actions with him. If it is not possible to consult by telephone, then you need to call a doctor and give yourself first aid:

• take sorbents (the most accessible activated carbon, but it must be taken at the rate of 1 tablet per approximately 10 kg of weight);
• drink a lot of liquid, but little by little. It is better to use special mixtures, such as rehydron;
• in case of severe poisoning, there is a need to take antibiotics (only on the recommendation of a doctor).

A few hours later, after the vomiting stops, you can gradually start eating. Since fasting is extremely harmful for pregnant women. You can start with tea with crackers. Then add rice without oil, boiled meat, baked apples. After final recovery, it is advisable to take a vitamin-mineral complex (you should first consult with a specialist).

Why is poisoning dangerous?during late pregnancy

Despite the fact that if the expectant mother is poisoned, toxins cannot reach the child, the poor health of the pregnant woman cannot but affect the child. As usual, poisoning is accompanied by dehydration of the pregnant woman’s body, which impairs blood flow to the placenta. This is why it is so important to drink plenty of fluids. Since the pregnant woman’s nutrition is impaired, the child does not receive enough of the nutrients he needs. Spasms of the diaphragm during vomiting are dangerous if there is a threat of miscarriage, because they can lead to the onset of contractions.

Prevention of poisoningduring late pregnancy

To avoid poisoning, it is enough to follow the usual hygienic rules for storing and preparing food. The finished dish must be placed in the refrigerator immediately after it has cooled (maximum 60 minutes after cooking). Fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs should be thoroughly washed under warm running water. Finished products should not come into contact with products that have not undergone heat treatment. For cutting meat products, specially designated boards should be used.

When purchasing products, you need to monitor their production times. Products that spoil quickly should be immediately taken home and put in the refrigerator (this is especially important in the summer). Any foods that cause you concern should not be consumed (even after repeated heat treatment).

Even though the consequences of poisoning can be very serious, there is still no need to panic. Timely treatment and referral to specialists will help minimize risks.