Lyme disease can be transmitted to the foetus during pregnancy, especially if the infection is treated late or inadequately. Lyme disease specialists generally agree that pregnant women with Lyme disease should be treated. However, there is no complete consensus on the duration of treatment. A two-week course of antibiotics can reduce the risk, but it is not always sufficient, and some experts recommend treatment for the entire duration of the pregnancy. Complications during pregnancy, miscarriage, and developmental problems after birth carry a significant chance and high level of risk (we wrote about this in detail here), which is why antibiotic treatment may pose a lower risk. Two weeks of monotherapy does not mean a complete cure for the mother, so even if the rash disappears, the infection may persist and recur due to stress or factors that weaken the immune system.
However, there may be many other reasons for a young child’s weak immune system or slower growth, not necessarily Lyme infection. For this reason, it is important that the child be seen by a paediatrician and, if necessary, examined by a specialist (immunologist, endocrinologist), and that the mother’s previous infection not be considered the only possible cause. If Lyme-specific symptoms are suspected, I also recommend performing a direct diagnostic Lyme test on the child, which is the most reliable way to detect Borrelia, the pathogen that causes Lyme disease.
(C) Lyme Borreliosis Foundation
