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Bump to Birth<br />
Feature<br />
There is a high chance of losing too much blood if you<br />
happen to go into labour while you are having dengue<br />
and might need a blood transfusion or this could be very<br />
dangerous to you and your baby.<br />
How can I get<br />
treated?<br />
There is no specific vaccine<br />
or anti-dengue treatment<br />
currently available for<br />
dengue. The main form of<br />
treatment available is to<br />
relieve symptoms.<br />
Symptoms can usually be<br />
controlled by taking a dose<br />
of paracetamol, which is<br />
considered to be safe during<br />
pregnancy. You’ll also have<br />
to drink lots of fluids and<br />
keep yourself hydrated<br />
during dengue. Being very<br />
closely monitored by your<br />
doctor is also very important<br />
during this period of time.<br />
People with severe dengue<br />
need to be treated with drips<br />
at the hospital to prevent<br />
dehydration, and to stabilize<br />
their blood platelet level.<br />
People who undergo proper<br />
treatment only take a few<br />
days to recover and are fit<br />
enough to leave the hospital<br />
within days. However, if<br />
you do not get the right<br />
treatment in time – it may<br />
cause you your life.<br />
Either change the water regularly or empty them. As a safety<br />
measure, you could also burn mosquito coils around your<br />
house in order to keep mosquitoes away.<br />
Put on mosquito<br />
repellent wherever<br />
you go<br />
You could also prevent mosquito bites<br />
by wearing long sleeved clothes, staying<br />
in cool areas – so yes, turn<br />
up that air conditioner<br />
in your house just to be<br />
safe. Plus, use mosquito<br />
repellent available in roll on<br />
or spray forms. Take them<br />
with you when you go out<br />
because you never know<br />
where mosquitoes are<br />
lurking about.<br />
No immunity for dengue<br />
Unfortunately, no one can be fully immune to dengue after<br />
having it once. The dengue virus has four distinct, but closely<br />
related strains. If you have had one strain of dengue, it means<br />
you are immune to that one particular strain - but you’re still<br />
at risk of contracting the other three.<br />
If you are infected with one strain, and then get infected by<br />
another strain of dengue – chances are it may be worse off<br />
than the previous one. This is why it is best to take further<br />
steps in preventing dengue, especially when you’re pregnant.<br />
You cannot tell for sure if you are safe from dengue, but you<br />
can do your best to keep the mosquitoes away from you.<br />
Aedes mosquitoes breed in still water, such as in flower pot<br />
trays, abandoned ponds or aquariums, vases and old tires.<br />
Reference:<br />
• www.cdc.gov<br />
• www.momjunction.com<br />
• www.dengue.info<br />
14 <strong>Baby</strong><strong>Talk</strong> | <strong>January</strong> <strong>2019</strong>
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