It is a time of heat, humidity, we are next to a swampy area ... There are few situations in which we are safe from mosquitoes. But on top, if you're pregnant, mosquitoes lick your skin.
There are studies that indicate that mosquitoes prefer to bite women in general, and especially pregnant women. We tell you why they bite more pregnant women and how to protect yourself of these uncomfortable companions.
Why do some people bite more than others?
Mosquitoes are attracted to the smell of human sweat, which is why summer is their favorite time. But there are also other factors that influence mosquito preferences that answer the question why they bite some people more than others, and because pregnant women are one of their favorite targets.
In Babies and more Insect bites in babies and children, what to do and how to prevent them?Mosquitoes are attracted to estrogen
If there is one man and one woman, the mosquito will choose to bite the woman, especially the young women. The reason is in estrogen, the female sex hormones produced by the ovaries and the placenta during pregnancy.
During pregnancy, the secretion of estrogen and estriol increases, a type of estrogen hormone increases a thousand times in the last trimester. It is because of that the fatal attraction of mosquitoes to pregnant women increases towards the end of pregnancy.
And people who exhale more carbon dioxide
The carbon dioxide we exhale is key when choosing the mosquito prey. People who emanate higher levels of CO2 that are their favorite. This involves larger people and pregnant women, who increase the production of carbon dioxide during pregnancy.
They prefer a higher body temperature
A study published in the magazine "The Lancet" in 2000 showed that pregnant women attract twice as many mosquitoes as those that are not. The authors of this study attributed it to pregnant women exhale more carbon dioxide and record higher body temperatures, which mosquitoes detect more easily.
This study was conducted in the Gambia and showed that in the huts in which pregnant women had slept there were twice as many mosquitoes as in those occupied by non-pregnant women, although it could also influence the increase in bites the fact that pregnant women left with more Frequent urination at night.
It could also influence the increased blood volume and the increase in body temperature so that pregnant women are more exposed to bites, as well as the fact that by sweating more, more lactic acid is emitted, an attractive substance for mosquitoes that are able to detect to more than 30 meters.
In Babies and more Chikungunya, Zika and Dengue: the danger of the tiger mosquito for pregnant womenHow to protect yourself from mosquito bites
Given that mosquito bites can cause infections that pose serious risks during pregnancy, this is one more reason for you to protect yourself against mosquito bites if you are pregnant. How to do it:
Use mosquito nets.
Avoid staying outdoors during the first and last hours of the day or night.
Wear long-sleeved clothes and long pants.
Use environmental repellents: with ultrasound, electrical, pads ...
Take a shower at night before going to bed: to minimize night sweats.
Turn off the lights at night: mosquitoes are attracted to light.
Use authorized repellents in pregnancy: those containing DEET or Diethyltoluamide (although in the absence of evidence there are those who do not recommend it during the first trimester and at low concentrations in the second and third), icaridine, Citriodiol or IR3535.
Photos | iStockphoto and Jimmy Chan from Pexels
