Pregnancy and the H1N1 Influenza

Pregnant women especially in their third trimester are at very high risk of the complications that are seen with H1N1 influenza.

One out of three pregnant women that develop H1N1 flu have been hospitalized with severe respiratory problems. Deaths have also been reported in otherwise normal healthy pregnant women. To make matters worse both the normal seasonal flu and H1N1 influenza can occur at the same time with serious results.

As our children go back to school the transmission of H1N1 flu is expected to increase. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and pediatric health care organizations have urged pregnant women to take important steps in preventing influenza and if flu symptoms develop to seek early treatment.

What you need to know to try and protect yourself and your baby:

• Stay informed about H1N1 flu
• If you have symptoms similar to influenza contact your physician immediately.
• If you have had close exposure to a person with influenza notify your physician
• Use frequent hand washing techniques and sterile wipes
• Avoid contact with any individuals that have flu-like symptoms
• If one of your family members has flu-like symptoms, try to arrange for someone else to care for them.
• Consider all flu like symptoms as if they are from H1N1 influenza and get treatment. The CDC has advised that you should be treated even before lab tests have confirmed you have H1N1 Flu.

What if I think I have been exposed to H1N1 flu?
Call your doctor immediately, so they can start you on the antiviral medicine called Oseltamivir. Oseltamivir is a pregnancy category C drug, reflecting that clinical studies have not been done to assess the safety of their use during pregnancy. No adverse events have been shown to be caused by oseltamivir among women who received these agents during pregnancy or among infants who were exposed while in utero.

If you have been exposed, but no flu symptoms have developed your physician will give you one Oseltamivir pill each day for ten days. If you have symptoms you will receive two pills each day for five days. This treatment plan is currently effective for both prevention of H1N1 influenza and the reduction of flu severity if started within 48 hours of the initial symptoms.

Seasonal flu vaccine is now available and the vaccine for H1N1 will be available late October. All pregnant women should receive both the H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccines. ACOG recommends the inactivated flu vaccines for all pregnant women at anytime during your pregnancy. The H1N1 vaccine is free.

Follow the CDC's H1N1 influenza during pregnancy web site for up-to-date information.

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