Is it dangerous for pregnant women to have diarrhea? Some people wonder, because this is one of the common conditions in women during pregnancy. However, you don’t need to worry too much, if the case of diarrhea is mild, pregnant mothers can change their nutritional regimen as well as change their daily diet. On the contrary, more severe cases will endanger the health of both mother and fetus.
Causes of diarrhea in pregnant women
Diarrhea is an intestinal disorder when there are signs of loose stools more than 3 times in a day. The main cause of this condition is bacterial, viral or parasitic infections in the digestive tract.
Furthermore, pregnancy can also stem from a number of other causes that need to be mentioned:
- Food poisoning: Foods that are dirty, unhygienic or contain additives that affect the digestive system of pregnant women. In addition to experiencing diarrhea, pregnant mothers may experience symptoms such as nausea, bloating and loss of appetite.
- Changing eating habits too quickly causes the digestive system to not have time to adapt, which will cause digestive disorders in a short time. Furthermore, this condition often appears in the first 3 months of pregnancy.
- Reaction to some foods such as fresh milk, high-protein foods, etc. If these foods are consumed, it will be difficult to tolerate them in the digestive system and cause diarrhea to expel them from the body.
- Digestive diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, Celiac disease, ulcerative colitis, etc. are the same causes of diarrhea during pregnancy.
- Side effects of some medications and multivitamin pills overload the body, leading to diarrhea.
However, some common causes of diarrhea during pregnancy are due to hormonal changes in the mother’s body. This will affect the digestive system to work faster and cause diarrhea.
Is it dangerous for pregnant women to have diarrhea?
Diarrhea can last from 1 – 10 days depending on the specific cause of the disease. However, prolonged diarrhea in pregnant mothers will cause danger, most commonly dehydration, affecting the development of the fetus. During the period when pregnant mothers have diarrhea, it is necessary to replace water and electrolytes to ensure health.
Some notes, pregnant mothers often have lower resistance, so when they have diarrhea, it will be more severe and means the danger level is also higher. In addition, pregnant mothers with prolonged diarrhea during pregnancy will suffer negative effects on their health, even malnutrition, growth retardation, and most dangerously, it can cause stillbirth.
Treatment methods when pregnant women have diarrhea
In fact, diarrhea during pregnancy can go away on its own when the body does Get used to unfamiliar foods or have processed all the food in the stomach. However, if this case lasts about 2 – 3 days and shows no signs of improvement, pregnant mothers need to consult a qualified doctor.
For patients with diarrhea in general, pregnant mothers in particular should not underestimate this disease, they need to see a doctor as soon as possible to get the right treatment and enough time to recover quickly. Furthermore, in cases of mild diarrhea, doctors will prescribe pregnant mothers to use oresol to rehydrate and balance electrolytes. In case the pregnant mother is affected by bacteria/virus, using antibiotics is necessary and must be prescribed by a specialist.
When the pregnant mother has diarrhea, drink plenty of water to limit the danger to the mother and the fetus. Pregnant mothers can replenish water by drinking filtered water or drinking some teas that are good for the digestive system such as ginger tea, honey water, and adding peppermint essential oil to drinking water. Some notes, pregnant mothers should limit drinking juices or drinks containing milk or sugar because it will make the digestive condition worse.
Some foods to avoid when pregnant women have diarrhea
When suffering from diarrhea, pregnant mothers need to pay special attention to diet. Some foods pregnant mothers need to pay attention to because they not only reduce the disease but also make diarrhea during pregnancy worse. Here are some foods to avoid if a pregnant woman is suffering from diarrhea:
Fried foods contain a lot of oil
Fried foods are loved by many people because they are delicious butThey are not good for the digestive system, especially for pregnant mothers who are suffering from diarrhea and need to avoid foods fried in oil.
Typically dishes like french fries and curries contain a lot of oil and fat so they require a lot of water to digest. Meanwhile, when pregnant mothers have diarrhea, they are already dehydrated, so they cannot meet this requirement and harm the digestive system.
Red meats and seafood
Red meat is found in beef, lamb, etc. They contain a lot of protein and some other nutritional ingredients, so they often indigestion. Besides, eating undercooked red meat such as rare beef pho, buffalo dipped in vinegar, etc. will make diarrhea worse.
Seafood contains inorganic mercury content. This is a substance that pregnant women have difficulty digesting, so eating seafood when having diarrhea will make this condition more serious.
Fresh milk
If fresh milk is not stored properly, there is a high risk of infection. For pregnant mothers with diarrhea, drinking a lot of fresh milk will not be good for the digestive system even though milk contains many necessary nutrients.
Aerated soft drinks
Drinking lots of water is a solution to treat diarrhea, but you should not drink carbonated water or coffee. The reason is because these types have a diuretic effect, so they can make diarrhea worse. In addition, caffeine content also causes many problems for pregnant mothers’ digestive system.
Some fruits
Papaya is a fruit that has the ability to contract the uterus. It has the effect of stimulating the digestive system to work faster, so pregnant women should not eat it when they have diarrhea.
Coconut contains bromelain, an enzyme that can increase the risk of miscarriage and diarrhea, so mothers also need to remove coconut from the menu during days of diarrhea.
Pregnant women with diarrhea need to pay attention to their daily health and feel for unusual signs, if any. When pregnant mothers have diarrhea, drink plenty of water, have a balanced diet, and get adequate rest. In addition, pregnant mothers can also apply the BRAT diet.
Kim Dung
