Q: Will typhoid affect the baby's growth if occurs in the fourth month of pregnancy? Will it lead to any future deformity or any side effects? What precautions have to be taken for this? I am 24 years old and I weigh 72 kg. I am presently on medicines (calcium, iron and folic acid) for pregnancy. Please advise.

A:Generally, typhoid during pregnancy is not known to have a long term effect on the fetus / baby if the typhoid infection has been adequately managed with antibiotics. There was no mention in this query if this lady was prescribed with antibiotics and how long for. Was the diagnosis of typhoid based on high degree of clinical suspicion or has the diagnosis been confirmed with some microbiology laboratory result. Assuming that the diagnosis is typhoid, and if it has been adequately managed with antibiotics, and the lady has recovered from the infection and feels constitutionally well, then she need not worry about any effects of this infection on the fetus / baby. The crucial point in this query is whether the infection during the 4th month of pregnancy was typhoid or not. I would advise this lady to be seen by an experienced Obstetrician who would oversee her pregnancy and periodically review her health and growth of the fetus. The obstetrician could also give an insight into this episode of infection. She also needs to see an experienced Physician who could assess her in view of her past infection. I guess blood tests might have been done to screen for TORCH infections etc.