Wasp stings during pregnancy: how dangerous is it and what to do?

In most cases, a wasp sting during pregnancy or lactation is no more dangerous than at any other time in a woman's life. The mother herself, of course, will suffer to some extent from pain, swelling and itching, but the bite will most likely not affect the health of the fetus or the already born child (through milk).

The only thing you should prepare for if a wasp has bitten a pregnant or nursing mother is that you will have to endure pain and itching for some time, because it is not recommended to use special medicines at this time - they can do some harm to the baby.

However, there are still cases when a stinging insect attack on a pregnant woman can be really dangerous. So, for example, if a wasp sting caused an overly pronounced allergic reaction, then such an immune response of the mother's body is quite capable of having a negative impact on the condition of the fetus.

However, expectant mothers who have a high sensitivity to insect bites, as a rule, are well aware of this feature of their body, so they are usually ready to take the necessary measures in advance.

Review

“For example, I was also bitten by a wasp when I was pregnant. Nothing terrible happened.There were no severe edema, no allergies. My arm ached, as usual, swollen a little below the elbow, and that's all. And my gynecologist told me that there is nothing wrong with that. So stop panicking and go for a walk.”

Svetlana, Kirov

As medical practice shows, during pregnancy, a wasp sting can be dangerous, including due to improper actions on the part of the expectant mother. Most of the remedies used to relieve swelling, itching and pain in "normal" life are not recommended during pregnancy. However, in fact, a considerable percentage of women, trying to protect their baby, strive at all costs to treat the bite with at least something.

It is an elementary misunderstanding of the potential danger of drugs that often leads to the fact that with such a “treatment” the expectant mother poses a rather serious threat to the development of the child - especially in the first trimester of pregnancy, when all the organs of the fetus are being laid.

Therefore, remember: if you were suddenly bitten by a wasp during pregnancy, then it is forbidden to use any medications without consulting a doctor. This is just the case when it is better to do nothing than to mess things up yourself.

 

Wasp venom, pregnancy and breast milk: no intersection points found

A child who is carried by a healthy pregnant woman is 100% protected from wasp venom. From the point of view of physiology, this is not so difficult to explain: during a bite, the toxin enters the mother’s blood, and with it it necessarily passes through the liver, where it undergoes a kind of biological “utilization”.

The wasp venom is also not capable of penetrating the placenta, therefore its direct contact with the fetus of a pregnant woman is excluded.Even if the wasp sting fell on the stomach, resulting in a noticeable bump, you should not worry.

The poison is even less likely to pass into breast milk. To do this, he also needs to pass through the liver of a nursing mother, and then be able to somehow get directly into the mammary glands. In a normal situation, this is excluded, therefore - as during pregnancy - a wasp sting during breastfeeding does not pose any danger to the baby.

Review

“We are very lucky with the pediatrician. Such a balanced, generally impenetrable woman. She has enough experience for five lives for others. When I was once bitten by a wasp while breastfeeding, I was so worried, I was afraid that I would have to interrupt breastfeeding, and this was in the third month. I called her, barely talking from fright. She reassured me so well, said that there was nothing dangerous in this situation at all, told me to calmly go to sleep and not worry about anything. And indeed, nothing happened. Even despite the fact that the bite was on the shoulder, it seems, not far from the chest. A week passed, the little one did not even feel anything. ”

Oksana, Moscow

 

Difficulties in the treatment of wasp stings during pregnancy and hepatitis B

As mentioned above, the vast majority of drugs during pregnancy and breastfeeding are prohibited - including those that are usually used to eliminate the symptoms that appear after a wasp sting. This is one of the important problems that concern pregnant and lactating women.

So, if during pregnancy you were bitten by a wasp, you can not use, for example, the following drugs:

• Aspirin, which they usually try to relieve pain after a bite and relieve the temperature if it suddenly rises;
• Dimedrol, which prevents the spread of edema;
• Advantan is an ointment designed to limit the tumor and relieve itching.

Review

“We once had such that a wasp stung a nursing mother in nature. As luck would have it, it happened in the very heat, but in the village there was just not a single car - everything was in the field. The girl was blown away, her legs were swollen, and then there was a small child, not even six months old. I was still little then, I lived in a neighboring house, I was scared. But it’s good, then the ambulance arrived from the regional center in half an hour, probably. The doctor looked at it and said that there was no need to do anything, because medicines could cause even more trouble. Indeed, the very next day everything was back to normal. The bite itself was very large, but the swelling subsided, and the milk was not lost.

Tatiana, Art. Kamenskaya

When breastfeeding, the independent use of any antihistamines is prohibited, including the most “favorite” in such cases, Suprastin, Loratadin and Dimedrol.

If these drugs are used in the first trimester of pregnancy, they can have a mutagenic effect on the developing fetus, and in the later stages - lead to premature birth. This means that if even the slightest sign of an allergy to a wasp sting appears in a pregnant woman, you need to go to the hospital as soon as possible.

On a note

During pregnancy, under the strict supervision of a physician, it is allowed to use Suprastin, Fenistil and Zirtek. However, they are used only in special cases, when these drugs are vital for the mother's body.

 

TOP 3 safe and effective remedies for the treatment of wasp stings in pregnant and lactating women

If a pregnant woman was bitten by a wasp, in order not to harm the baby, it is best for her to do without the use of medicines at all. This rule is also true for breastfeeding women.

However, drugs that are approved for use in expectant or already real mothers are still available:

• Menovazin is an inexpensive and effective ointment to eliminate pain and itching at the site of an insect bite;
• Paracetamol, recognized by WHO experts as the most harmless analgesic and anti-inflammatory agent for pregnant women;
• No-Shpa is also a very well-known drug for relieving pain syndromes.

Important!

Before using the drug No-Shpa, you should definitely consult a doctor, since in some cases this remedy can cause premature opening of the cervix and, as a result, premature birth.

The above medicines can only be used to eliminate local symptoms. In the case when a wasp has bitten a pregnant or lactating woman, as a result of which a generalized allergic reaction has begun to develop, the victim should immediately consult a doctor.

Review

“Don't worry so much about this bite. Great trouble, a lump on the arm. My father is a beekeeper, while I lived in their village in the fifth month, I was bitten ten times by both bees and wasps. And nothing. It hurt and it's gone. I drank Paracetamol and forgot all about these problems. If after the bite you were able to turn on the computer and even start a discussion here, then nothing bad will happen to you. Relax."

Inna, Kyiv

 

When a wasp sting is really dangerous

A wasp sting during pregnancy becomes really dangerous when it provokes a general allergic reaction. Such a result of stinging can pose a serious threat to both the fetus and the mother.

Let's define the main symptoms of a wasp sting allergy that should be taken as an alarm:

• very extensive edema, both local (over the entire arm or leg), and general, extending to the whole body;
• urticaria all over body;
• shortness of breath, headaches, dizziness;
• increased heartbeat;
• nausea, vomiting;
• chest pain.

If any of these symptoms appear, the pregnant woman must be immediately taken to the hospital, or an ambulance should be called for her, be sure to explain to the doctors that the victim of the wasp sting is expecting a baby.

With an acute allergic reaction, Quincke's edema, anaphylactic shock, and even death are possible. However, in less dangerous situations, it should be remembered that a woman is responsible not only for herself and her life, but also for the health of her baby: both allergies and the means by which they usually get rid of it can be equally dangerous for him. That is why any appointment here should be done only by a good qualified doctor.

Summing up, we can say that a wasp sting during pregnancy or during breastfeeding, for the most part, does not pose a serious danger to mother and baby. Nevertheless, these happy periods in a woman's life require due attention and "supervision" from loved ones and doctors, in order to react in time in case of a possible threat.

 

What to do if you are allergic to insect stings

 

Useful video: why wasp and hornet stings are dangerous (including about anaphylactic shock)