A pregnant woman may rarely be bitten by a venomous snake. The outcome for the mother and fetus depends on a number of factors.
Pregnant women comprise around 1% of people bitten by snakes. Many bites are on an extremity.
Factors affecting outcome of the snakebite:
(1) toxicity of the snake venom
(2) site of snakebite
(3) amount of injected venom
(4) systemic symptoms
(5) speed of antivenom administration
Complications in the mother include:
(1) shock
(2) hemorrhage and/or DIC
(3) organ failure
(4) uterine contractions and/or preterm labor
(5) placental abruption
(6) anaphylaxis to antivenom
Complications that can occur in the fetus:
(1) intrauterine fetal death
(2) decreased fetal movements
(3) hypotension due to maternal shock
(4) neonatal jaundice
(5) sepsis
Extended fetal monitoring is recommended to detect late onset complications.
