Also in pregnancy one is unfortunately not necessarily spared from tick bites. Ticks are usually found in tall grass or forests and wait for warm-blooded mammals – in this case humans – to bite. With its jaw claws, the tick scores the skin of the affected person and then sinks its sting (hypostome) into the wound.
Before it starts feeding, i.e. sucking blood, the tick releases various secretions into the wound with its saliva. Then it begins to suck the blood. Tick bites are particularly feared by expectant mothers during pregnancy, as it is generally known that ticks can transmit certain diseases such as Lyme disease or TBE.
How dangerous is this for my baby?
Many expectant mothers are afraid of tick bites during pregnancy. The reason for this is the fear of the infectious diseases that ticks can transmit. In our latitudes these are mainly Lyme disease and early summer meningoencephalitis (TBE).
How great the danger is for the unborn child depends on various factors. The longer the tick is on the body and can suck blood, the more likely it is to transmit diseases to the mother. Lyme disease in particular is feared because, unlike TBE, there is no protective vaccination against it.
Moreover, the transmission of TBE is much less likely than Lyme disease. On the one hand, this is due to the fact that ticks carrying the TBE virus only live in certain areas of Germany, on the other hand, the probability of transmission is generally 30%. So not every bite leads to an infection.
It is now considered certain that Lyme disease can be transmitted to the unborn child through the placenta. However, it is not possible to say exactly how high the risk is. Overall, it is estimated to be very low, but if transmitted, there is a risk of severe malformations in the child.
The most common are abnormalities of the heart, nervous system, locomotor system and skin. Liver malformations are also known. Since damage to the child cannot be ruled out, there is a need for rapid action in the event of a tick bite during pregnancy.
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