Letters to the Editor

Infection in Pregnancy: A member’s true story

In early February,  I was about two months pregnant and became quite sick with what I thought was flu: I had  joint pain and a rash on my lower  arms and thighs. A  couple of weeks later I learned that a student at our school had a confirmed case of Fifth Disease. I did not know if I was immune,  so the following day I underwent tests to find out. In early March my family physician confirmed that I had recently been exposed to Fifth Disease and that this could have occurred during my first trimester. She sent me for an ultrasound and all appeared normal with my developing baby.

I was advised by my midwives to have regular biweekly ultrasounds,  and the first of these, at the end of March, indicated a possible problem. I was promptly referred to Mount Sinai Hospital’s Fetal Medicine Unit, where further tests showed the baby might have anemia. I was 20 weeks pregnant  and had 24 hours to decide if I  wanted to undergo an interuterine blood transfusion, a  risky process.  I decided to go ahead and the transfusion successfully raised the baby’s hemoglobin  level to  normal levels. My daughter was born in August and appears to be perfectly healthy. At nine months she will undergo tests to determine if she does have any neurological or central nervous system delays as a result of her exposure to Fifth  Disease in utero. Teachers planning to become pregnant  need to be aware  of the consequences of contracting Fifth Disease during  pregnancy and should undergo testing to find out  whether or not they are immune.

April Girard-Gregori, Member,  Halton Teacher Local