Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Malisa George, who is currently expecting her second child, felt very excited, as an older mother, when she found out she was pregnant.

"I had already decided if it did not happen soon, I was not going to get pregnant at all," George said.

George described her first pregnancy as easy and less stressful because she was less informed about the potential prenatal complications that could occur. It was not until after the birth of her first child that she began working in the OB/GYN Clinic at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. While working in the clinic, she learned of the risks and complications that many pregnant women experience.

She recalled an incident that made a lasting impression on her. One of the patients did not count fetal kicks later in the pregnancy, and did not realize her baby had died.

Not all expectant mothers are aware of some of the possible complications associated with prenatal health, and for this reason, February is International Prenatal Infection Prevention Month. To the staff at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, preventing prenatal infections is a goal all year and not just in February.

According to Cmdr. Timothy Sayles, an OB/GYN physician, a prenatal infection is any infection that can be passed from mother to child, either during pregnancy or at the time of delivery.

"The infection can be viral, bacterial or parasitic," Sayles said. "The most common infections that we think of are human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B and C, rubella, parvovirus, varicella virus (chicken pox), cytomegalovirus (CMV), herpes simplex virus (HSV), toxoplasmosis, and group B streptococcus (GBS)."

Although prenatal infections are nothing new, the recent spread of certain viruses and their coverage in the news is an alarming reminder to expecting mothers that they must take all necessary steps to protect themselves and their unborn child.

Prevention is the goal of prenatal infections, because in many cases, no cure exists.

"Most of the infections cannot be treated, but we work very hard to prevent them," Sayles said. "Every pregnant mother is screened for HIV, hepatitis B, rubella by blood work to assess their exposure or immunity status. We also ask about their history of chicken pox and HSV exposure, and we screen them for group B streptococcus."

For those who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, there are simple steps they can take to protect their unborn baby from infections that cause serious health problems.

"The best way to prevent prenatal infection is to limit exposure and practice good hand hygiene," Sayles said.

While it may seem like prenatal infections are a common part of pregnancy, it actually isn't.

"It is important to recognize that these infections are unusual," Sayles said. "Most pregnant mothers will have been exposed to these viruses at some time prior to pregnancy, and therefore will protect the pregnancy with their own immunity. A great deal of the effect, if any, the infection might have on the pregnancy depends on when the infection occurs. The biggest thing they can do is practice good hand hygiene and, if they feel they have been exposed, to contact their obstetrical provider."

For more information on prenatal health and infections, visit NMCP's Woman's Health Clinic or visit www.womenshealth.gov.

For more news from Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, visit www.navy.mil/.