Will Suffering From Gastroenteritis During Pregnancy Affect My Baby?

Hi, Thanks for the query. I understand your concern. You are having gastroenteritis. You are able to keep fluids and maintain hydration. It is the solid food that is troubling you. Common causes of gastroenteritis are viruses. But sometimes bacteria and some protozoa [small living organisms] can also produce this. It is better to know the cause and treat it to control symptoms as infection in the body itself predisposes to preterm pains and decreases fetal growth. Regarding the diet: I suggest that you try to eat really simple food like clear vegetarian soup, juices, rice gruel with very little fats [oil or butter or any other]and plenty of water. Do not eat complex proteins like meat or fried food. Use probiotics as they help restore the normal bacterial flora and hence quicker control of infection. Anta acids like milk of magnesia [commonly sold as gelusil] is also advisable to control abdominal pain. The best measure is to allow the gut to rest and not load it with solid food especially as it must be inflamed. This will help in faster recovery and you will be able to tolerate food earlier which will be good for the baby. The growth is not affected much if you keep on taking adequate calories in the form of juices and soups for a few days. You will be losing some protein from your body to the baby but this can be recovered later. I suggest that you try these measures and if symptoms persist, see your physician as you may need antibiotics to control infection. Hope this was helpful. Thanks for using HCM. Have a good day and take care. Dr Madhuri Bagde Consultant Ob Gy