What Is Fifth Disease?
6. Pregnancy
A mother’s immune system will usually be able to help protect their unborn children from disease, but this is not always the case. Some pathogens may be able to infect the baby and do them harm, and one of these is fifth disease. If the mother becomes infected, the virus can affect the red blood cells of the fetus.
If the baby’s red blood cells are affected, it can result in severe anemia. This even has the potential to result in a miscarriage or stillbirth. It is a rare occurrence and only usually happens early on in the pregnancy. Regardless, pregnant women who contract fifth disease should let a doctor know straight away.
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