Pregnancy brings with it many questions for women, including questions pertaining to what changes to expect to their body. For women facing cancer, these questions are very serious. Women who are diagnosed with cancer want to know all about fight it using chemotherapy treatments without bringing harm to their unborn child.
Risks
Any woman who is pregnant faces up to a 5 percent chance of giving birth to a child with a birth defect. Chemotherapy treatments during pregnancy greatly increase this risk. However, it is not a foregone conclusion that their child will have birth defects, in fact some women receiving chemotherapy treatments give birth to perfectly healthy babies.
First Trimester
In the first trimester of pregnancy, cells in the fetus are growing quickly as the baby's many body parts are forming. Undergoing chemotherapy treatments during this time can cause damage to cells, hindering their proper division and growth.
Second and Third Trimesters
Women having chemotherapy treatments during their second or third trimesters face a lower chance of giving birth to a child with birth defects. The treatments at that time, however, may lead to a premature delivery. Another possible side effect of chemotherapy treatments during this time include having a baby born weighing very little.
Different Factors
Chemotherapy treatments can be given using a variety of different drugs for pregnant women. Other factors affecting pregnant women and their treatments include the amount of different drugs that are given, the length of time administering the drug, and at what point in the pregnancy the drugs are given.
Delayed Reactions
Babies born healthy from mothers receiving chemotherapy treatments usually have no lingering effects. Although current research in this area is limited, regular visits to the physician for the baby is generally the best course of action.
Future Pregnancies
A woman's chances of getting pregnant again after receiving chemotherapy treatments is difficult to measure, but may be estimated by examining many factors. Some key factors include the type of drug used and a woman's age at the time of treatment. The ability to have a child can return in months or years or, unfortunately, not at all.
Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding one's baby is often an idyllic image to women. Breastfeeding mothers can form an important bond with their baby while giving him or her nutrients to help the baby's growth. However, if the mother received chemotherapy treatments while pregnant, breastfeeding is not recommended. One of the risks in breastfeeding the baby after chemotherapy is possible damage to the baby's immune system.
Tags: chemotherapy treatments, treatments during, chemotherapy treatments, receiving chemotherapy, receiving chemotherapy treatments, birth child