Can running a fever while I’m pregnant harm my baby?
I’m pregnant and have a fever. How can I treat it safely?

Thomas Easterling, professor of obstetrics, University of Washington Medical School, Seattle answer:

Well, if you have a high fever in the first trimester when the baby is forming, it can cause neural tube defects. After the first trimester, having a fever puts a certain metabolic stress on the baby — you’re both burning up calories and oxygen faster, so it’s like the baby has a fever too. But it’s not dangerous unless the pregnancy is already on the edge. If you have cystic fibrosis or heart disease, for instance, a fever at that point could tip you over into more serious complications. A fever from the flu won’t directly hurt your baby after the first trimester, although pregnant women can get very sick from the flu and should be vaccinated against it. But if you’re totally healthy, a routine cold with a fever isn’t going to have much effect on either you or the baby.

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