Does polio affect fertility?

Polio is a very serious acute infectious disease. As they grow older, many polio patients have reached the age of marriage. Now women want to know whether they can have children after marriage. So, will polio affect fertility? The following is a detailed introduction for everyone, hoping to be of help to everyone.

1. Polio is caused by a virus and is a contagious disease, but it is not hereditary. Offspring will not be infected with polio.

2. From a medical perspective, the main concern is the size of the birth canal. Women who have polio at a young age will have developmental problems with one or both legs, which will affect the normal development of the pelvis. This will cause problems with the birth canal, often making it difficult or impossible to deliver a normal-sized fetus through the birth canal. The size of the birth canal is usually assessed using X-rays, but other methods may also be used. This decision needs to be made by the attending physician. Knowing the size of the birth canal and the fetus is crucial for planning, otherwise a cesarean section may be an option.

3. In addition to the size of the birth canal, lack of sufficient abdominal muscle strength can cause problems during delivery.

4. When acute poliomyelitis affects the entire body, women are at high risk for respiratory complications and should be examined. If there is a significant residual restrictive respiratory defect, this may be a problem. The enlarged abdomen leads to increased diaphragmatic restriction and increases the risk of hypoventilation. There have been patients with worsening respiratory function and hypoventilation during pregnancy. In a patient in the third trimester, a nasal/oral positive pressure device can be used.

Through the above understanding of the impact of polio on fertility, we know that polio does not affect fertility. We would like to remind you that for the health of the mother and child, polio patients can have a caesarean section or try water birth, using the buoyancy of water to support the body.