What should pregnant mothers do if they get pneumonia?

Once diagnosed with pneumonia, medical treatment is necessary. Treatment methods include combined antibiotic therapy for anti-inflammatory purposes, maintaining the mother's respiratory function, and assessing the fetus. In addition, pregnant mothers need to pay extra attention to daily care.

Wear a mask

Pneumonia spreads through droplets, so remember to wear a mask to prevent cross-infection.

Drink plenty of water

Drinking more water can accelerate metabolism, help dilute and expel phlegm and harmful factors, speed up inflammation recovery, and relieve cough symptoms.

Eat a light diet

Avoid spicy, irritating, raw, cold, or smoked foods, as well as alcohol and tobacco. Eat more easily digestible fruits and vegetables rich in vitamins and water, such as apples, pears, radishes, and cabbage.

Rest adequately and exercise moderately

Choose light activities like walking or prenatal yoga, but avoid strenuous exercise, such as activities that make it difficult to speak normally or cause breathlessness.

Keep indoor air fresh and clean

Provide a quiet, tidy, and comfortable environment. Do not allow smoking indoors, maintain suitable room temperature and humidity, and stay in a positive mood, as this can help speed up recovery.

How to distinguish between a cold and pneumonia during pregnancy?

Check the symptoms

• Common cold: A type of upper respiratory infection, primarily affecting the nose and throat. Symptoms mainly include sneezing, nasal congestion, runny nose, itchy or sore throat, cough, fever, headache, and general discomfort.

• Pneumonia: A lower respiratory infection. In addition to fever and headache, symptoms may include difficulty breathing, chest pain, coughing up blood or yellow-green mucus, red eyes, and ear pain.

Check body temperature

• Common cold: May or may not involve fever, but symptoms usually improve within a week. If fever-reducing medication is taken, the effect is noticeable. Coughing may last longer.

• Pneumonia: Often accompanied by fever (armpit temperature usually above 38°C), lasting longer. Even with fever-reducing medication, the fever may return. The person may also appear lethargic.

Check mental state

• Common cold: Generally, the person remains in good spirits, can eat and play normally, though appetite may slightly decrease.

• Pneumonia: Often results in poor mental state, irritability, drowsiness, rapid breathing, and worsening cough or breathing difficulties at night. Appetite may also decrease significantly.

Seek medical diagnosis promptly

For most people, distinguishing these symptoms can be difficult, and early-stage pneumonia is often mistaken for a common cold. However, pneumonia is more severe and requires immediate treatment to avoid harm to both mother and baby. A common cold usually resolves within 5–7 days. Seek medical attention immediately if the following symptoms occur:

• Difficulty breathing, noisy breathing, or very rapid breathing.
• Coughing up blood or yellow-green mucus.
• Cough lasting over two weeks without improvement.
• Worsening nasal congestion or runny nose persisting for over a week.
• Red eyes with yellow, sticky discharge.
• Ear pain, frequent ear pulling, or other signs of ear infection.

For pneumonia diagnosis, doctors may require an X-ray, especially if the pregnant mother has rapid breathing with fever, tachycardia, or low blood oxygen levels. Pregnant mothers need not worry—diagnostic X-ray doses are low and pose minimal risk to the fetus, with no impact on growth or intelligence.

If a pregnant woman receives IV or nebulizer treatment for pneumonia, can the baby still be kept?

Whether IV or nebulizer treatment affects the fetus depends on the medications used. Generally, doctors prescribe pregnancy-safe medications, such as FDA Category B antibiotics or inhalation drugs. These are considered safe for use during pregnancy.

Category B means animal studies have shown no harm to the fetus, though human studies are lacking. These drugs are generally deemed safe for pregnant women.