It is a well-known fact that the body of pregnant women goes through different changes. While some of them are normal, others could be an indication of a serious problem. And chills during pregnancy could indicate that there is a problem that requires medical attention.
Chills when being pregnant
Chills mean that women have periods when they feel cold. They often occur because of conditions that lead to an increase of the body temperature, like the flu or a cold. It is possible that you are feeling cold in one moment and then hot in the other. Chills can also be accompanied by sweats.
Causes
Chills and fever are usually caused by some kind of infection. Itis possible that you have chills because of a viral infection like viral gastroenteritis (also known as stomach flu) or a cold. In the same time it is also possible that chills are a sign of a more serious condition like appendicitis, pneumonia or a kidney infection.
One of the most common causes of chills during pregnancy is the urinary tract infection. This could also cause fever and chills. If your fever is higher than 100 degrees Fahrenheit you should contact your doctor. The same thing applies if you have chills for longer periods of time.
Concerns
The truth about chills of pregnant women is that although chills don’t really affect the baby, the underlying conditions could cause harm to the little one. For instance if you have an untreated kidney infection it could lead to preterm labor that could make the baby have a low birth weight. This is why it is important to have early treatment in case of chills during pregnancy.
Warning
It is a known fact that the babies have the fastest development during the first trimester. This is why this is the riskiest period to have chills and fever. If the baby is exposed to high temperatures, the results of pregnant women’s chills could be spina bifida, a kind of neural tube defect or other kinds of problems.
Treatment
There are some over-the-counter medications, such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen that can help lower the fever. However, before you start taking any kind of medications you should ask for the approval of your doctor first.
In case the chills during pregnancy are also accompanied by fever that lasts for a longer period of time, it is possible that your doctor will run some tests, like chest X-rays, urine and blood tests to find the cause of the fever. This all depends on the length and severity of the fever.
Sometimes you may have to take antibiotics if you have chills of expecting mothers. This is usually the case if the cause of the chills is a bacterial infection, like sinus infections or urinary tract infections.
So chills during pregnancy can have some serious causes (like bacterial infections) that could lead to symptoms of this kind.
