(Recording)Perinatal Lyme Disease: A Primer for the Birth Practitioner – Hilary Schlinger CNM

Single recordings of The After Birth Confab are now available for individual purchase.

(Recording)Perinatal Lyme Disease: A Primer for the Birth Practitioner – Hilary Schlinger CNM

Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in the Northern Hemisphere and Europe, as well as an emerging disease in Australia. If untreated, it can contribute to multisystemic problems such as arthritis, carditis, and neurocognitive disorders. The bacterium which causes Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi, is in the same phyla (Spirochaeta) as syphilis. It has been demonstrated to cross the placenta and cause congenital transmission. Borrelia has been cultured from the breastmilk of untreated women and has also been cultured from the placenta, even in women treated with antibiotics during pregnancy. Because Borrelia is known to exist in multiple forms – biofilms, round-body (cyst), L-form, and blebs, as well as, its better-known spirochetal form – confirmation of eradication from the processed placenta presents challenges. This talk will explore Lyme Disease in general, gestational Lyme in particular, and will include the “knowns and unknowns” about Lyme Disease to guide practitioners in decision-making when faced with clients who present with Lyme during pregnancy.