Maternity Record (Mutterpass) Pages 2 and 3: Lab Tests

The results of various blood tests are entered on pages 2 and 3 of your maternity record (Mutterpass). Your blood type, your Rh factor, antibody tests and evidence of what infections you are protected against are recorded there. You can find the information under the German heading that translates to ‘Laboratory tests and rubella protection’. It will state whether you have been vaccinated against influenza. This data is important information. It’s necessary, for example, if you need to receive blood during pregnancy or childbirth. This may be due to bleeding or premature birth.

The Rh factor (short for ‘rhesus factor’) is a characteristic of your blood group. It indicates whether there is a certain protein on the surface of your red blood cells, called the ‘rhesus factor D antigen’. About two-thirds of all people have this antigen. These people are ‘Rh positive’. People who do not have this antigen are ‘Rh negative’. In everyday life, this feature has no effect on your health. If you are Rh-negative, however, this can become a problem if you are pregnant. If your fetus is Rh positive, your body may produce antibodies against the fetal red blood cells. This can severely impair fetal development and even be life-threatening for the fetus. Since the baby's blood group is unclear before birth, it has been common practice to administer anti-D immunoglobulin to any pregnant person with a negative Rh factor in the 28th week of pregnancy as a precaution. In the meantime, however, it is possible to use this so-called ’anti-D prophylaxis’ only when it is really necessary. Doctors can now determine the fetus's Rh factor from as early as the 12th week of pregnancy. They can do this with just a few drops of blood from you. The test is usually performed starting in the 16th week of pregnancy because it is more accurate then. If it turns out that the fetus is Rh-negative, you can forgo treatment with anti-D immunoglobulin. Your health insurance will cover the cost of the blood test. If you are expecting multiples, however, the blood test is not applicable.

If you never had a vaccination against rubella, you will need a rubella antibody test during pregnancy. If immunity to rubella has been established in a previous pregnancy or you have already been vaccinated twice against rubella, the test is not necessary. Rubella infection during pregnancy is dangerous for the fetus. It can cause damage to the eyes, ears, heart, or in rare cases, the brain, especially during the first twelve weeks of your pregnancy. After the 20th week of pregnancy, damage to the fetus seems to be rare. Nevertheless, if you have not been vaccinated, you should definitely avoid contact with people who have rubella throughout your pregnancy. If this does happen, please contact your gynaecologist quickly. A detailed laboratory examination will then be carried out in their office and any further procedures will be discussed with you in detail.

A syphilis test is used to test for syphilis. In Germany, syphilis is sometimes also called ‘lues’. It is a sexually transmitted infectious disease. If you have syphilis and are pregnant, there is a risk that the pathogen could be passed to your baby. This may result in miscarriage or premature birth. Even many months after birth, the baby may still show signs of illness that affect its development. Therefore, to protect your baby, your blood will be tested for syphilis at the beginning of pregnancy. If the test is positive, you’ll be checked to see whether the infection has already healed or not. If you have an acute infection, it is important that you are treated immediately with an antibiotic. This is about protecting your baby. But the treatment is also important for you. Without treatment, the infection causes ulcers on the skin or mucous membranes. And in the long run, the syphilis pathogens can also cause terrible damage to internal organs such as the heart and severe disorders in the nervous system. The result of the syphilis screening is not recorded in your maternity record (Mutterpass). It is only recorded that the test was performed.

You will be tested for hepatitis B in the last trimester of pregnancy. If it turns out that you are infected with hepatitis B, your child will be vaccinated shortly after delivery. This protects them from becoming infected. Newborns and babies infected with the virus often develop chronic liver inflammation. Discuss with your midwife, obstetrician, or gynaecologist what medical treatment you need if you have hepatitis B. Get advice there on the topic of breastfeeding with hepatitis.

Chlamydia infections can be detected with a urine test. Chlamydia is a bacterial infection that often manifests itself through inflammation. If you test positive, you will be treated with antibiotics. Your partner must also be treated. Chlamydia infections can increase the risk of miscarriage or premature birth.

It is recommended that all pregnant people should be vaccinated against influenza, or the flu, starting in the 4th month of pregnancy. Any even earlier date is recommended in cases of high-risk pregnancy. Your health insurance will cover the cost of the flu shot. Influenza can seriously threaten the health pregnant people and threaten the pregnancy. For example, during pregnancy the risk of severe flu infections with complications such as pneumonia increases. In addition, influenza infection during pregnancy increases the risk of fetal growth retardation as well as the risk of miscarriage or premature birth.

Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is an infectious disease that can cause severe illness in infants, including pneumonia and meningitis. When infants or young children contract the disease, they have often contracted it from their parents. Transmission occurs via droplet infection. It is recommended that all pregnant people be vaccinated against pertussis during pregnancy from the 28th week of pregnancy on. In high-risk pregnancies, vaccination should take place earlier if necessary. Your health insurance will cover the cost of all of these services. All contacts of the infant should also check to see if they have been vaccinated against pertussis.

You can get tested for HIV during pregnancy voluntarily and free of charge. In this case, it will be noted on page 4 in your maternity record (Mutterpass) that a test has been done. The result of the test is not recorded. If you have been infected with HIV, a quick medical response is necessary. This can greatly reduce the risk of transmission to the fetus.