Dahisar resident Reena Mishra (27) fought death in pregnancy after being diagnosed with dengue in the eighth month and developing health complications due to it. Today, she’s a happy and doting mother, after undergoing a C-section on August 9 that saved her as well as her child.
She, however, isn’t the only pregnant woman in the city who contracted the illness. Hospitals have reported more than 100 such cases.
Cause and effect
“There are some pregnant women undergoing treatment for dengue and dengue-like symptoms. But the situation is under control. They just need to be more careful,” said Dr Avinash Supe, Director of Medical Education and major BMC hospitals.
A city doctor said that though there are no specific reasons why pregnant women fall prey to the virus, it could be attributed to changes in their immunity during that time.
Mishra said, “My due date was in September, but due to the complications because of dengue, I was admitted for delivery a month prior. I was really scared, as I wanted to save my child. So, doctors immediately operated on me and ensured my child was born dengue-free.” Talking to mid-day, infectious diseases specialist Dr Om Shrivastava said, “Dengue affects people in certain age groups and categories and pregnant women are one of them. But there is no specific reason behind it. The changes a pregnant woman’s body goes through is what makes her vulnerable to the virus.”
High (risk) numbers
A doctor from Sion hospital said that everyday they get four to five pregnant women with symptoms of dengue. “In dengue, the platelet count falls that can cause serious complications and patients get extremely weak due of this. So, we keep them under observation, to monitor their platelet counts daily after every hour,” said the doctor. Till September, 382 confirmed cases of dengue have been reported in the city while the number of probable cases is 4,242.
Several wards E, F-south, F-north, G-south, G-north, L, M-east and M-west — have been declared high-risk ones with respect to dengue.
How to keep your home safe
>> Protect knees, legs, neck and ears as dengue virus-carrying mosquitoes mostly bite these areas.
>> Eliminate all mosquito-breeding sites and prevent waterlogging in surroundings.
>> Clean water coolers and tanks frequently and keep all water resources fully covered.
>> Dengue mosquitoes can breed only in clean water, not dirty. Therefore, regularly clean your water storage containers.
>> Always see a doctor immediately if dengue symptoms are suspected and do a dengue diagnosis test.
>> Drink lots of fluids regularly to stay hydrated; eat immunity-boosting fruits, and drink fruit juices rich in Vitamin C.
>> Spray aerosols during daytime to keep the mosquitoes away.
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