Effects of chlamydia on baby
Chlamydia and pregnancy | Pregnancy Birth and Baby
Chlamydia and pregnancy | Pregnancy Birth and Baby beginning of content3-minute read
Listen
Chlamydia is a bacterial sexually transmitted infection (STI) that affects both men and women. Chlamydia can also cause a number of issues during pregnancy.
Most people with chlamydia are unaware that they have the infection. Left untreated, chlamydia can cause serious complications including infertility and chronic pain. Chlamydia is fairly easy to treat if you know you have it — one course of antibiotics is usually enough.
Causes of chlamydia
Chlamydia is caused by an infection with the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. It is spread by unprotected (unsafe) vaginal or anal sex with an infected person.
Chlamydia is the most commonly reported STI in Australia.
What are the symptoms of chlamydia?
Most men and women with chlamydia have no signs or symptoms, which makes it very easy to spread. Some people have the infection for many months or years without knowing it.
Women who get symptoms may have:
- vaginal discharge
- bleeding between periods or after sex
- burning or pain when urinating
- abdominal or pelvic pain
- pain during sex
Men who get symptoms may have some clear discharge from the penis or pain during urination.
In rare cases, people with chlamydia have sore joints (arthritis) or inflammation of the eye (uveitis).
Diagnosing chlamydia
Chlamydia is easily diagnosed. Your doctor may take a sample from the vagina, cervix, anus or penis, and may ask for a urine test. These are sent to a laboratory for testing.
If you think you or your partner have chlamydia, see your doctor or sexual health clinic so you can both be tested. It is important that any sexual partners of people with chlamydia are tested, even if they don’t have symptoms.
Treating chlamydia
Treatment for chlamydia is a course of antibiotics. It is important to avoid sex until the full course of treatment is finished, and for at least a week following. You should have another test 3 months after you are treated.
If you have chlamydia, all of your sexual partners should be informed, tested and treated, as they may be infected and can infect you, and others, again after treatment.
If your partner has had a positive test for chlamydia, you should be treated even if you have had a negative test result. As chlamydia infection increases the possibility of contracting other infections, it is important to be tested for other STIs such as gonorrhoea, hepatitis, HIV and syphilis. Using latex condoms and a water-based lubricant is the most effective way to prevent STIs. People who have chlamydia for long periods without treatment risk becoming infertile or developing arthritis. Women can get pelvic inflammatory disease, and men can get epididymitis (a painful infection near the testicle).
Chlamydia complications
If chlamydia isn't treated properly, it can cause serious complications. People who have chlamydia for long periods without treatment risk becoming infertile or developing arthritis.
For women, chlamydia can spread into the uterus and fallopian tubes, causing pelvic inflammatory disease. Pelvic inflammatory disease can lead to ectopic pregnancies, chronic pelvic pain and infertility.
In men, chlamydia can cause epididymitis (a painful infection near the testicle) or spread to the prostate gland, and the tubes that carry sperm, which may result in chronic pain and/or fertility problems.
Both men and women can develop arthritis, eye inflammation and inflammation of the rectum.
Chlamydia and pregnancy
Because of this, doctors recommend that pregnant women under the age of 30 should be screened for chlamydia.
Pregnant women who are infected with chlamydia have an increased risk of their waters breaking prematurely, causing the baby to be born early.
If a woman has chlamydia when giving birth, the baby might become infected during delivery. These babies can develop an eye infection (conjunctivitis) or pneumonia, and might need antibiotics. Chlamydia has also been associated with low birthweight.
The antibiotics used to treat chlamydia are safe in pregnancy and are used in pregnant women for many other types of infections.
Sources:
Australian Sexual Health Alliance (STI Management Guidelines for use in primary care; Chlamydia), King Edward Memorial Hospital Women and Newborn Health Service (Chlamydia clinical practice guideline), Lab Tests Online AU (Chlamydia), Melbourne Sexual Health Centre (National Management Guidelines for Sexually Transmissible Infections - Chlamydia), NSW Health (Chlamydia fact sheet)Learn more here about the development and quality assurance of healthdirect content.
Last reviewed: November 2020
Back To Top
Related pages
- Antenatal care during your pregnancy
- Routine antenatal tests
Need more information?
Chlamydia - MyDr.com.au
Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted infection (STI). It affects both men and women, and it's spread by having sex with a person who has the infection.
Read more on myDr website
Chlamydia - Better Health Channel
Chlamydia is often called the 'silent infection' because most people do not realise they have it.
Read more on Better Health Channel website
Chlamydia fact sheet - Fact sheets
Chlamydia is a sexually transmissible infection. Many people who are infected do not have symptoms of infection but can still spread the disease. Chlamydia can lead to infertility, and other complications if not treated.
Read more on NSW Health website
Chlamydia | Family Planning NSW
Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by a bacteria. It affects both men and women. Most people with chlamydia do not have symptoms. This means you can pass the infection to a partner without knowing it. Having a regular sexual health check-up can help you find out if you have chlamydia.
Read more on Family Planning Australia website
Chlamydia (Clam-id-ee-a) - Body Talk
Chlamydia is known as the ‘silent infection’ as most people have no signs or symptoms
Read more on Body Talk website
Chlamydia treatment for your partner - Play Safe
Did you know it’s possible for your partner to get treated for Chlamydia without ever having to see a GP or go to a sexual health clinic? This is known as Patient Delivered Partner Therapy (PDPT)
Read more on NSW Health website
The facts about Chlamydia, what it is, how to prevent it, and how to treat it
Chlamydia is on the rise in Australia and it’s the most important thing for young people to test for. It often doesn’t have any symptoms which means that it’s easy to miss without regular STI testing.
Read more on NSW Health website
Trachoma - Eye Infection
Trachoma is a preventable eye condition caused by repeated infections with eye strains of the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis that lead to a roughening of the inner surface of the eyelid.
Read more on Queensland Health website
STIs and safe sex: I LOVE condoms! - Body Talk
What is the best way to tell if your partner has Chlamydia? They tell you they don’t have it They know how to use a condom They have no visible symptoms They have had a recent sexual check-up and got the all clear
Read more on Body Talk website
Gonorrhoea | Family Planning NSW
Gonorrhoea is a bacterial sexually transmitted infection (STI). It is spread through vaginal, anal or oral sex, or by the fingers and hands from the genitals to the eyes. It is less common in the general community than other STIs such as chlamydia. Gonorrhoea can infect the throat, rectum (back passage), urethra (urine passage), cervix (neck of the womb) and eyes.
Read more on Family Planning Australia website
Disclaimer
Pregnancy, Birth and Baby is not responsible for the content and advertising on the external website you are now entering.
OKNeed further advice or guidance from our maternal child health nurses?
1800 882 436
Video call
- Contact us
- About us
- A-Z topics
- Symptom Checker
- Service Finder
- Subscribe to newsletters
- Sign in
- Linking to us
- Information partners
- Terms of use
- Privacy
Pregnancy, Birth and Baby is funded by the Australian Government and operated by Healthdirect Australia.
Pregnancy, Birth and Baby’s information and advice are developed and managed within a rigorous clinical governance framework.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Healthdirect Australia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to the Traditional Owners and to Elders both past and present.
This information is for your general information and use only and is not intended to be used as medical advice and should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any medical condition, nor should it be used for therapeutic purposes.
The information is not a substitute for independent professional advice and should not be used as an alternative to professional health care. If you have a particular medical problem, please consult a healthcare professional.
Except as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, this publication or any part of it may not be reproduced, altered, adapted, stored and/or distributed in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of Healthdirect Australia.
Support this browser is being discontinued for Pregnancy, Birth and Baby
Support for this browser is being discontinued for this site
- Internet Explorer 11 and lower
We currently support Microsoft Edge, Chrome, Firefox and Safari. For more information, please visit the links below:
- Chrome by Google
- Firefox by Mozilla
- Microsoft Edge
- Safari by Apple
You are welcome to continue browsing this site with this browser. Some features, tools or interaction may not work correctly.
Chlamydia - Complications - NHS
If chlamydia isn't treated, it can sometimes spread and cause potentially serious problems.
Complications in women
Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
In women, chlamydia can spread to the womb, ovaries or fallopian tubes. This can cause a condition called pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).
PID can cause a number of serious problems, such as:
- difficulty getting pregnant or infertility
- persistent (chronic) pelvic pain
- an increased risk of ectopic pregnancy (where a fertilised egg implants itself outside the womb)
The symptoms of PID are generally similar to the symptoms of chlamydia, including discomfort or pain during sex, pain during urination, and bleeding between periods and after sex.
PID is usually treated with a 2-week course of antibiotics. The risk of experiencing problems such as infertility is lower if it's treated early, so it's important to seek medical advice as soon as possible if you have symptoms of the condition.
Pregnancy complications
If you have chlamydia that's not treated while you're pregnant, there's a chance you could pass the infection on to your baby. If this happens, your baby may develop an eye infection (conjunctivitis) and lung infection (pneumonia).
If your baby has symptoms of these conditions, your midwife or GP can arrange for a test to check for chlamydia, and antibiotics can be used to treat the infection.
Untreated chlamydia in pregnancy may also increase the risk of problems such as premature labour and birth (before 37 weeks of pregnancy) or your baby being born with a low birthweight.
Complications in men
Inflammation of the testicles
In men, chlamydia can spread to the testicles and epididymis (tubes that carry sperm from the testicles), causing them to become painful and swollen. This is known as epididymitis or epididymo-orchitis. This is very rare.
The inflammation is usually treated with antibiotics. If it's not treated, there's a possibility it could affect your fertility.
Reactive arthritis
Chlamydia is the most common cause of sexually acquired reactive arthritis (SARA). This is where your joints, eyes or urethra (the tube that passes urine out of the body) become inflamed, usually within the first few weeks after having chlamydia.
It can affect women who have had chlamydia but is more common in men.
There's currently no cure for SARA, but most people get better in a few months. In the meantime, treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen can help relieve the symptoms.
Page last reviewed: 01 September 2021
Next review due: 01 September 2024
Chlamydia - KVD №2
What is chlamydia?
Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI). The disease is caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis (Chlamydia trachomatis), which affects the female genital area and is the cause of non-gonococcal urethritis in men. Manifestations of chlamydia are usually minor or absent, but serious complications develop. Complications can cause irreparable damage to the body, including infertility - all this proceeds very secretly.
Chlamydia also causes penile discharge in infected men.
Chlamydia transmission routes
Chlamydia can be transmitted through:
- vaginal or anal contact with an infected partner;
- less common with oral sex;
- use of sex toys with an infected partner;
- infection of a newborn during childbirth from a sick mother.
Absolutely all sexually active people can get chlamydia. The greater the number of sexual partners, the greater the risk of infection. The risk of infection is especially high in girls, because their cervix is not fully formed. About 75% of new cases occur in women under 25 years of age. By the age of 30, approximately 50% of sexually active women have had chlamydia. In sexually active men, the risk of infection is highest between the ages of 20 and 24.
You cannot get chlamydia through kisses, hugs, dishes, baths, towels.
Manifestations of chlamydia
Chlamydia is very secretive. About 75% of infected women and 50% of infected men are asymptomatic. If manifestations of the disease develop, then this occurs approximately 1 to 3 weeks after infection.
In women, chlamydia first affects the cervix and urethra (urinary canal).
Manifestations:
- unusual vaginal discharge;
- pain or discomfort when urinating;
If the infection penetrates to the appendages, manifestations are possible:
- pain in the lower abdomen;
- pain in the lumbar region;
- nausea;
- slight increase in temperature;
- pain during intercourse or bleeding after it;
- bleeding between periods.
Symptoms in men:
- clear or cloudy discharge from the penis;
- pain or discomfort when urinating;
- there may be burning and itching in the area of the outlet of the urethra;
- rarely pain and/or swelling of the testicles.
Men or women who have anal sex with an infected partner can infect the rectum, resulting in inflammation, pain, discharge, or bleeding from the rectum.
Chlamydia can cause sore throat (pharyngitis) in men and women who have oral contact with an infected partner.
What complications can develop if chlamydia is not treated?
If the disease is not treated, serious short-term and persistent complications develop. Like the disease itself, complications often occur insidiously.
In women with untreated chlamydia, infection can spread from the urethra to the fallopian tubes (the tubes that carry the egg from the ovaries to the uterus) - this causes (in 40% of cases) the development of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID causes permanent damage to the fallopian tubes, uterus, and surrounding tissues. Chronic pelvic pain, infertility and ectopic pregnancy are the result of PID.
Women with chlamydia are more susceptible to HIV infection, the risk increases by almost 5 times.
To prevent serious consequences of chlamydia, annual chlamydia screening is required for all sexually active women 25 years of age and younger. An annual examination is necessary for women over 25 who are at risk (new sexual partner, multiple sexual partners). All pregnant women should be screened for chlamydia.
Complications of chlamydia are rare in men. The infection sometimes extends to the epididymis and causes pain, fever, and, rarely, male infertility (sterility).
Rarely, chlamydial infection can cause inflammation of the joints in combination with skin lesions, inflammation of the eyes and urinary tract - this is the so-called Reiter's syndrome.
The effect of chlamydia on a pregnant woman and her child
Chlamydia in pregnant women increases the risk of miscarriage, premature detachment of the placenta. Newborns from infected mothers can get eye and lung infections. A lung infection (pneumonia) can be fatal to a newborn.
Diagnosis of chlamydia
Diagnosis includes observation of the patient's clinical symptoms, testing for chlamydia smears from the cervix, scraping from the urinary canal, the first morning urine. Most often, the study is carried out by PCR (polymerase chain reaction). Swabs and scrapings may cause minor discomfort.
In addition, a blood test by ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) for the presence of immunity to chlamydia is carried out, this auxiliary test often helps to establish an accurate diagnosis.
Treatment of chlamydia
Treatment of chlamydia is with oral antibiotics. To prevent re-infection, all sexual partners must be found, examined and treated. Patients with chlamydia should refrain from unprotected sex during treatment, otherwise it is possible to re-infect the sexual partner. Unfortunately, after successful treatment, re-infection with chlamydia is possible, since a strong immunity to this microorganism does not develop. Repeated infection of women with chlamydia leads to a significant increase in the risk of serious complications, including infertility. A re-examination is carried out 4 weeks after treatment.
Prevention of chlamydia
The best way to prevent sexually transmitted infections is through long-term sexual contact with one healthy sexual partner. Latex male condoms, when used correctly, drastically reduce the risk of transmission.
Annual chlamydia screening required for all sexually active women 25 years of age and younger. An annual examination is also necessary for women over 25 who are at risk (new sexual partner, multiple sexual partners). All pregnant women should be screened for chlamydia.
Any manifestations, such as pain or discomfort when urinating, unusual rash, discharge are a signal to stop sexual intercourse and immediately examine in a specialized clinic - KVD. If the patient is found to have chlamydia (or any other STI), he must inform his sexual partners so that they also undergo a full examination and appropriate treatment. This will reduce the risk of developing serious complications and prevent the possibility of re-infection.
Patients with chlamydia should refrain from unprotected sex during treatment, otherwise the sexual partner may be re-infected.
Reproductive Health Education CenterReproductive Health Education Center
Pregnancy is a happy period in every woman's life. Everyone knows how important it is to take care of your health during this period, because during pregnancy any infection is dangerous not only for the mother, but also for the health of the unborn baby. In pregnant women, immunity is always slightly reduced: a change in the immune status is a physiological response to pregnancy. Reduced immunity is necessary for the expectant mother so that her body does not reject the fetus, perceiving it as a foreign object. That is why the body of the expectant mother during pregnancy becomes extremely vulnerable to infections that lie in wait for a woman at every turn. Unfortunately, no one is immune from various diseases during this period. Venereal diseases are no exception. In particular, chlamydia is quite common during pregnancy.
The effect of chlamydia on pregnancy can be extremely detrimental, which is why it is very important to know what the symptoms of the disease are, how dangerous chlamydia is for the unborn child, how to treat the infection so as not to harm the fetus.
The danger of chlamydia in pregnant women lies in the fact that very often it occurs in a latent form. After a rather long incubation period, mild signs of the disease may appear, which are easy to mistake for a common ailment, but they may be absent altogether if the woman does not suffer from serious diseases and immunodeficiency. If chlamydia is not recognized in time in the blood of a pregnant patient, they can cause premature miscarriage or intrauterine infection of the fetus, which often leads to serious malformations and disorders in the formation of the body of the unborn baby.
What is Chlamydia trachomatis?
The nature of the pathogen easily explains why chlamydia is so difficult to recognize and treat. Chlamydia are intracellular parasites. They combine the features of bacteria and viruses at the same time. They are much larger than bacteria, but do not reach the usual size of viruses. Getting into the external environment, chlamydia quickly die, so the disease is not transmitted by contact-household method. Once in the human body, the pathogen begins to feed on energy from the cells, affecting the genitourinary system. Chlamydia during pregnancy affects not only the vulva, cervix, fallopian tubes and ovaries, but also the fetal membranes. This is especially dangerous for the health and life of the unborn child.
Causes of the disease
The source of the disease is an infected sexual partner. Chlamydia is transmitted exclusively through sexual intercourse, if barrier contraception was not used during sexual intercourse. A woman's sexual partner may be a carrier of chlamydia, but due to the latent course of the disease, he may not be aware of its existence. That is why it is so important during pregnancy to undergo a comprehensive examination for the presence of a variety of diseases, which includes PCR for chlamydia. Timely detected chlamydia is treated quite successfully (see a detailed article about the treatment of chlamydia during pregnancy). Pregnancy after treatment and during it proceeds in most cases favorably if the doctor recognizes the infection in time and takes all measures to eliminate it safely and effectively.
The cause of intrauterine infection of the fetus is the penetration of chlamydia into the fluid surrounding the fetus. After infection of the fetal membrane, the infection of the fetus itself also occurs, since the child, while in the womb, regularly swallows a small amount of amniotic fluid.
Why are chlamydia dangerous during pregnancy?
In addition to its usual complications, chlamydia in pregnant women can lead to the following adverse effects:
- Complicated pregnancy, threatened miscarriage
- Early and late miscarriages
- Intolerable toxicosis
- Inflammatory processes in the endometrium, inflammation of the mucous membranes of the uterus and vagina
- Inflammation of the amniotic membrane, negatively affecting the development of the child, since the amniotic membrane is involved in the supply of nutrients to the fetus
- Increased risk of preterm birth
- Development of intrauterine diseases in a child (anemia, pneumonia, conjunctivitis).
Chlamydia affects the mucous membrane of the child's eyes, as well as the upper respiratory tract and lungs.
- It is very common for pregnant women with chlamydia to give birth to premature babies.
How does chlamydia present during pregnancy?
Symptoms of the disease are identical to normal chlamydia. Usually the signs are quite weak and resemble urethritis or cystitis. A woman experiences discomfort and burning during urination, scanty and cloudy discharge from the urethra is observed. The discharge may contain pus. Pain in the lower abdomen and pain when urinating often cause the initial stage of chlamydia to be mistaken for cystitis.
In some cases, chlamydia in pregnant women can occur without inflammation in the urinary tract. The infection immediately affects the inner lining of the uterus, as well as the mucous membrane of the cervix. There is swelling of the cervix, its epithelium begins to collapse, erosion of varying severity develops.
Due to hormonal changes, a pregnant woman may also develop chlamydial colpitis (inflammation of the vagina), which is not typical for ordinary patients.
How to treat chlamydia in pregnant women?
As mentioned above, the most important stage from which treatment begins is the recognition of infection, for which serious examinations are prescribed. As for the treatment itself, not all antibacterial drugs are suitable for pregnant women. The task for the doctor in this case is complicated, since he will not only have to draw up an individual treatment regimen, but also choose antibiotics that will be as safe as possible and will not have contraindications. Most often, antibiotics of the tetracycline group are used to treat chlamydia, but they are highly undesirable for use during pregnancy. In this regard, doctors use antibiotics from the pharmacological group of macrolides to treat expectant mothers. Drugs are also prescribed to eliminate dysbacteriosis and restore the normal microflora of the vagina, as well as drugs that stimulate and strengthen the immune system.