If you still think that a cozy home environment is better than a state hospital ward, and a baby should be born in a natural environment, and ideally, be born in water, we will tell you a real case that happened in Canada.
The baby was born absolutely healthy on time. However, eight days later, the newborn girl was urgently hospitalized with a high fever. Almost immediately, the baby was transferred to the intensive care unit, because everything refused her – we emphasize this – absolutely all organs.
Doctors diagnosed the girl with severe sepsis. Her body gave such an acute reaction to the Legionella bacteria found in the baby’s blood.
Looking ahead, let’s say: this is a story with a happy ending. The girl spent five weeks in intensive care on artificial ventilation and antibiotic therapy, but eventually recovered. And it is really fortunate that the doctors thought to quickly take blood for this bacterium and chose the right treatment.
Attention, the question: where is the bacterium in the body, which, by definition, should not be there? Doctors have found the answer. The woman gave birth at home under the supervision of a midwife in a bath of warm water, filled with – drum roll! – three days before delivery. They were simply afraid that they might not have time to get water when the X-hour came, and decided to play it safe. As a result, the bath turned out to be an ideal environment for the development of infection. Legionella literally blooms in water temperatures of 20 to 42 degrees Celsius. And the warmer, the better for her.
The baby’s experience has allowed medical scientists to argue that childbirth in water is potentially fatal, especially when women use pre-filled pools or heated pools.
“A fresh hot bath can reduce the risk of serious infections, but it does not exclude them, because the immune system of newborns is very weak,” – quoted Study lead author Dr. Michelle Barton of Western University in London, Ontario.
“Heated baths are especially dangerous,” says fellow professor Alastair Sutcliffe, a researcher at the Institute of Child Health at University College London. – Warm water is an ideal medium for the growth of certain bacteria. Babies are not dolphins: they should not be born underwater. “
Experts say water is good for the early stages of labor – contractions. But, when the cervix is completely open and attempts are about to begin, it is still better for future mothers to move to a chair.