Baby Talk: Here’s how to protect yourself from getting a MRSA infection

Question: My friend told me she had an infection called MRSA. I am pregnant. Should I be concerned about being around her?

Answer: You should be fine being with your friend as long as she keeps her wound covered and her hands clean. However, when your baby is born, your baby should not be around her until she has been told she is clear from the infection.

In fact, babies should not be around anyone with an infection.

MRSA infections are becoming more common. MRSA (pronounced: mersa) is methicilin (a powerful antibiotic) resistant Staphylococcus aureus. MRSA is transmitted most frequently by direct skin to skin contact.

Staphylococcus aureus is a common bacteria found on our skin and in our nose. Bacteria and viruses are alive and adapt to their surroundings. When antibiotics were introduced in the 1930’s, they were considered to be miraculous.

They cured diseases that routinely had killed thousands of people. The bacteria adapted to the drugs and the drugs sometimes became useless in fighting different infections.

Many people are given antibiotics, start feeling well before they finish their prescription and stop taking their drug. When this happens, the bacteria find an equilibrium, change and adapt to the body. You might not be feeling sick at all, but you still have the bacteria somewhere in your body.

The next time you get sick, it may be harder for you to fight the infection because the bacteria has now adjusted to your body and may have developed a resistance to the antibiotic you were given before.

Staphylococcus aureus is believed to actually ‘hijack’ genes from other bacteria and then incorporate those toxins into their own genetic makeup. That Staphylococcus aureus strain of bacteria then becomes MRSA. It has also been nicknamed the ‘Superbug.’

There is growing concern about community acquired (CA) MRSA. In Pennsylvania a case of 10 college football players who suffered “turf burn” developed MRSA skin infections. It turned out that the college, for lack of funds, no longer laundered the athletes’ towels, and the towel sharing had become common. They spread the MRSA amongst themselves by sharing the towels.

The majority of MRSA cases are mild skin infections. However there is concern that more serious MRSA infections called necrotizing fasciitis (flesh eating) and pneumonia are on the rise.

Prevent yourself from getting a MRSA infection by following these guidelines:

1. Cover any wound with a bandage or tape that can be discarded.

2. Clean your hands with soap and water. Wash your hands for at least 15 seconds.

3. Do not share personal items such as towels, washcloths, razors, or clothing that may had contact with an infection. If you have a clothes dryer use it to dry any item that have been soiled or shared by someone with MRSA. The heat of the dryer helps kill bacteria.

4. Talk to your doctor if you have any suspicious wound that is red, swollen painful, has pus or any other drainage.

Katie Powers, R.N., is a board-certified lactation consultant and perinatal educator at Manatee Memorial Hospital’s Family BirthPlace. Her column appears every other week in Healthy Living in the Bradenton Herald. Contact her at katie.powers@mmhhs.com.