HEALTHIER YOU: Pregnant? Stay safe from infections 

BY DR. MARGUERITE BRATHWAITE OB-GYN

February is the month for love, and I hope everyone is practicing healthy habits to stay free from potential infections. Women who are pregnant or thinking about getting pregnant must stay in a mindset of protection from potential infections. 

Some infections, before and during pregnancy, can hurt both you and your developing fetus. They can cause serious illness, birth defects, and lifelong disabilities, such as hearing loss or learning problems. 

Here are 10 tips to help prevent infections before and during pregnancy: 

1. I recommend the following vaccinations: tdap, RSV and Covid. 

2. Wash your hands with soap and water after the following:

• Using the bathroom
• Touching raw meat, raw eggs, or unwashed vegetables
• Gardening or touching dirt or soil.
• Handling pets
• Being around people who are sick.
• Getting saliva on your hands
• Caring for and playing with children
• Changing diapers 

3. Reduce contact with saliva and urine from babies and young children. 

4. Avoid unpasteurized (raw) milk and foods made from it. 

5. Do not touch or change dirty cat litter. 

6. Stay away from wild or pet rodents and their droppings. 

7. Get tested for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), such as HIV and hepatitis B, and protect yourself from them 

8. Talk to your healthcare provider about vaccinations (shots) 

9. Avoid people who have an infection 

10. Protect yourself from the Zika virus, which can be passed from a pregnant woman to her fetus during pregnancy or her baby around the time of birth. 

It is important that all women have regular healthcare checkups. Make your appointment today by calling (702) 413-7740 for Innovative Women’s Care or visit us at 7650 West Sahara Ave. Suite 100 Las Vegas, NV 89117.