Dr. Kyle Warren
Edited by Meghan Feir Walker
Can you be born with Lyme disease? This is one of the most debated questions in the Lyme world. Depending on what you read, you may see it framed as “rare,” “unlikely,” or “not proven,” while many families and clinicians in the Lyme community say it is clearly possible.
When I first started researching this controversy, I wasn’t sure what to think. I dug into the available information because I wanted clarity. But then it happened to our family, so the debate became a personal reality, whether I wanted to be part of it or not.
In our case, my wife was struggling with her health (we later discovered Lyme disease was a major driver), and we were also in the middle of having our family. As our kids began showing health problems, we had to ask a difficult question: Could some of their symptoms be connected to one or more tick-borne illnesses passed during pregnancy?
This article will walk you through:
- Why the information is so conflicting
- Why chronic Lyme gets missed (especially in moms)
- What Lyme commonly looks like in kids
- What proactive, mom-first support can look like before or during pregnancy
But one of the main points we want you to understand is that there's hope. The hopeful part is the part families need most: You can get healthier, you can get pregnant, and you can have babies. You can build a healthy family, and if your child is affected, kids can recover too, especially when we identify what’s driving inflammation and support the body in a structured way.
Key Takeaways
- Public messaging on congenital Lyme can feel conflicting because the research base is limited and has not always matched what clinicians and families observe and experience.
- Many chronic Lyme patients get missed, especially when they never had a classic bullseye rash or found a tick bite.
- For kids, Lyme often shows up as either neurological/learning/behavioral issues or joint inflammation resembling juvenile inflammatory arthritis.
- There is hope at every stage—preconception, during pregnancy, postpartum, and for kids.
What Is Congenital Lyme?
“Congenital Lyme” generally refers to Lyme-related illness patterns in a baby/child that are believed to connect to mom’s tick-borne burden during pregnancy rather than a tick bite after birth.
Pregnancy is a unique physiologic season. Immune signaling shifts, nutrient demands rise, and the body is building a baby. If a mom is already carrying microbial burden and immune dysregulation, pregnancy can amplify symptoms or reveal patterns that were previously “manageable.”
Our goal isn’t just to “get through pregnancy.” It’s to support mom’s resilience so both mom and baby have the healthiest environment possible.
The Controversy: Why Information Feels Conflicting
If you’ve searched this topic, you’ve likely seen conflicting claims. Some sources emphasize that transmission is possible but rare. Others point to case reports and clinical observations suggesting it happens more often than acknowledged.
A key reason for the confusion is research gaps.
For example, the CDC’s pregnancy fact sheet states that untreated Lyme disease in pregnancy can infect the placenta and that spread from mother to fetus is possible but rare, while also noting a major limitation: There are no published studies assessing developmental outcomes of children whose mothers acquired Lyme disease during pregnancy. (cdc.gov)
NICE (UK) also highlights the lack of good-quality evidence on person-to-person transmission and explicitly calls for more research, including in pregnant women. (nice.org.uk)
And in the broader conversation about persistent symptoms after Lyme treatment, NIH/NIAID announced new funding awards in 2023 to better understand PTLDS, an example of growing research investment in longer-term Lyme-related illness patterns. (niaid.nih.gov)
This is one reason families often feel dismissed: When evidence is limited, institutions tend to speak cautiously. Meanwhile, real families are living patterns that deserve serious attention and proactive support.
When “Theory Became Reality” for Our Family (and Why That Still Leads to Hope)
I lived through this debate personally.
When my wife was struggling with her health, and we discovered she had Lyme and other tick-borne co-infections, the next question was unavoidable: Could our kids have tick-borne illnesses, too?
As we started testing our children, we found something that matters for this conversation: Not all of our kids showed evidence of having something passed down, but some did. In other words, it’s not an “always” or a “never.” It can be true in one child and not in another.
And here’s the part that matters most: My wife was able to get healthy, and our kids can be healthy, too. This is not a hopeless situation. With the right testing, the right plan, and the right support, families can recover and move forward.
Why Women Often Get Dismissed (and What That Costs)
Many women are told their symptoms are “just” stress, hormones, anxiety, burnout, or postpartum depletion. Even worse, many women’s struggles get dismissed as being “psychosomatic.” In other words, they’re often told, “It’s all in your head.”
Sometimes factors like stress, hormones, etc., are part of the issue, but they often become an ending when they should be the beginning of a deeper evaluation.
When symptoms are dismissed, the cost is predictable:
- Symptoms become chronic and confusing
- The nervous system becomes more reactive
- Sleep and energy become unstable
- Inflammation cycles become entrenched
If your body keeps telling the same story—fatigue, brain fog, headaches, sleep disruption, mood shifts, migrating aches—it is worth advocating for deeper support.
Can You Have Lyme Disease for Years and Not Know It?
Yes, you can have Lyme disease for years and have no idea. Many people never notice a tick bite. Many do not recall a rash. And many chronic cases look like a slow accumulation of symptoms rather than an obvious starting point.
Common patterns include:
- Fatigue that doesn’t match your lifestyle
- Brain fog, headaches, light/sound sensitivity
- Sleep disruption and “wired but tired” feelings
- Mood shifts, irritability, anxiety, depression
- Migrating aches or inflammatory flares
When these patterns persist, especially when they cycle, it’s reasonable to ask whether tick-borne illness(es) could be part of the story.
The Rash Question (Short and Chronic-Relevant)
A rash can be an early clue that helps some people get identified faster. But many chronic Lyme patients never recall a rash, and the absence of a rash is one of the reasons chronic Lyme gets missed. If you have ongoing symptoms and a pattern that fits tick-borne illness, it deserves deeper evaluation, even if a rash was never present.
If You’re Concerned About Your Child: What Lyme Often Looks Like in Kids
For kids, Lyme often looks different from what parents expect. Two patterns show up again and again:
1) Joint inflammation resembling juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
Some kids present with recurring joint pain, swelling, stiffness, or inflammatory flares that resemble juvenile inflammatory arthritis patterns.
2) Neurological delays or nervous system dysregulation
Other kids are “nervous system kids,” with patterns like:
- Developmental or learning delays
- Sensory sensitivities
- Sleep disruption
- Mood volatility or anxiety physiology
- Attention/behavior changes
- PANS/PANDAS-like presentations
The good news is this: Kids can heal. With proper testing and identification of what’s driving inflammation, whether joint-driven or nerve-driven, children can recover and thrive.
Functional Medicine for Fertility and Pregnancy: Dr. Paul’s Approach
If you are struggling with infertility, there are often more options than you’ve been led to believe.
My partner, Dr. Paul, has been very successful in helping women who are struggling with infertility through a functional medicine approach focused on:
- Gut health (inflammation control and absorption)
- Nutrient status (raw materials for hormones and ovulation)
- Hormone balancing (supporting a healthier cycle and pregnancy physiology)
If you are at the stage of considering spending $20,000–$30,000 on IVF, consider working with Dr. Paul first to optimize health and fertility. Many women find that once gut health, nutrients, and hormones are corrected, their bodies respond more strongly than expected.
Pregnancy Help for Women with Chronic Lyme: Dr. Warren's Approach
Tick-borne illness can be a hidden driver of inflammation, immune dysregulation, and hormone disruption. For women with chronic Lyme patterns, the goal is not only getting pregnant, but it’s also becoming a healthy mom with a body that can support a healthy pregnancy and give the baby the strongest possible start.
That is where I come in.
I’m here to help women overcome chronic Lyme disease so they can build healthy families through healthy moms, healthy pregnancies, and healthy children.
A Mom-First Plan for Hope and Health
If you’re trying to conceive, currently pregnant, or you’re concerned your child may have Lyme-related patterns, we can help you build a mom-first plan that supports your health and protects your baby’s future.
At Restorative Health Solutions, we help women:
- Clarify symptom patterns and root drivers
- Choose a structured plan before or during pregnancy
- Move toward long-term healing so Lyme does not remain a recurring theme
And if your child is affected, know that your child can heal, just like you can.
You Can Get Over Lyme and Co-Infections
You and your family can get over chronic Lyme, co-infections, and help your immune system become more balanced with a comprehensive, functional approach. Your body can heal once the right pieces are identified and addressed.
At Restorative Health Solutions, we specialize in uncovering root causes and helping patients rebuild from the inside out. We would love to help you and your family heal and live healthy lives.
Reach out to our clinic and set up your free consultation with one of our team members. They will go through your history, symptoms, and next steps with you.
To learn more about Lyme disease and co-infections, check out our Lyme page and blog.
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