STDs, or “sexually transmitted diseases,” are diseases that spread from one person to another during sex.

Some STDs can cause serious damage to your baby’s health particularly your baby’s eyes, lungs, brain and spinal tissue.

Most sexually transmitted diseases can be treated if detected early during pregnancy and it can be avoided if you practice safe sex during pregnancy. The pregnant mother and their partner must both be treated from STD to prevent the chance of getting the disease back.

Top 5 Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Ill-Effects during Pregnancy

1. Chlamydia

Most common STD infection that may be passed to the baby from the mother. Chlamydia symptoms may go undetected and only during screening does a pregnant mother will know if she is positive with this sexually transmitted disease. This STD infection can cause severe eye infections, conjunctivitis, pneumonia and even lung problems to the baby. Taking antibiotics can be used to treat Chlamydia and your doctor will recommend antibiotic creams to be applied to your baby’s eye.

2. Gonorrhea

During the first prenatal visit, a screening for gonorrhea is included. Screening for sexually transmitted diseases may also be repeated during the late stages of pregnancy if the pregnant mother is at high risk of acquiring STDs. If the mother is not treated prior to delivery, the child may acquire this disease. This is because the baby will pass through the infected birth canal. Gonorrhea may cause severe infections to the baby’s eyes, joints and blood. If mother has gonorrhea prior to the delivery and is treated, additional preventative measure is done to the baby by administering drops of Silver nitrate or antibiotics to the newborn’s eyes.

3. Genital Herpes

Genital herpes symptoms during pregnancy include fever, fatigue, headache, genital pain, pain during urination, unusual vaginal discharge, tenderness and blisters or lesions in the groin area. The baby acquires genital herpes when the newborn passes through mother’s infected birth canal. Genital herpes can cause severe infections to the skin, nervous system, eye infections leading to blindness, mental retardation and even death.

If a pregnant woman is infected with this sexually transmitted disease, the doctor will often recommend cesarean delivery to protect the baby from acquiring the infection.

4. Syphilis

This sexually transmitted disease may cause bone and tooth deformities, damage to nervous system and brain, and stillbirths. If the pregnant mother has syphilis it is extremely important to get early prenatal care in this instance, since the potential harm to the baby caused by this STD can be severe. If Syphilis is treated before the second trimester or the fourth month of pregnancy, the baby will not suffer from any ill effects of this sexually transmitted disease.

5. AIDS

At present, there is still no cure for this sexually transmitted disease. To date, this is the most serious of all STDs. AIDS can have serious effects and health consequences for the mother and especially for the baby. 20 percent of babies born with AIDS positive mothers develop HIV virus in as early as 6 months. The baby can also acquire AIDS through breastfeeding.

Pregnancy may also speed the development of the virus to the mother. Women affected with this disease should avoid getting pregnant to avoid passing the disease to her baby.