Some other maternal infections that pharmacists and their teams should be aware of include:

• Slapped cheek syndrome, caused by parvovirus B19, increases the risk of miscarriage and can cause severe anaemia and heart failure in the foetus. Women who contract the infection should undergo more frequent ultrasound scans and an affected newborn may require a blood transfusion
• Chickenpox carries with it an increased risk of pneumonia for pregnant women, and can result in foetal varicella syndrome, which can cause scarring, eye defects, shortened limbs and brain damage. A woman who is exposed to chickenpox when pregnant may be given aciclovir or immunoglobulin treatment – the latter may also be administered to the baby when born
• Chlamydia increases the chance of the mother experiencing a miscarriage, stillbirth or going into premature labour, and the newborn may succumb to pneumonia or conjunctivitis. Antibiotics are the usual treatment of choice
• German measles is well-known as being dangerous for pregnant women, not only because of the increased risk of miscarriage but also because it can cause congenital rubella syndrome, which can bring with it eye problems, deafness, heart abnormalities and brain damage. Any woman who has not been immunised against the disease should be vaccinated before falling pregnant
• Hepatitis B carriers may be unaware they have been infected by the virus, as it is often asymptomatic. The condition is screened for during pregnancy. Babies considered at-risk are usually vaccinated at birth and sometimes given immunoglobulins to prevent long-term hepatitis B infection and serious liver disease in later life. Additional vaccination doses are also needed at one and two months of age, plus a booster dose at 12 months, when the baby will be tested to ensure the immunisation has been effective.

Pharmacists and their teams are ideally placed to provide information and advice on the above, and also promote other interventions that pregnant women should consider, for example: guidance on smoking, alcohol, diet, exercise and supplement use, and the importance of being vaccinated against flu and whooping cough. For more information on pregnancy infections, click here.