زيزو1900
30-09-2009, 03:30 PM
Swine Flu and Pregnancy
By Karen Bruno
WebMD Feature
Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD (http://www.webmd.com/brunilda-nazario)
A recent study by the CDC found that pregnant (http://www.webmd.com/baby/default.htm) women are four times as likely to be hospitalized and are at higher risk of death and complications from swine flu (http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/swine-flu/default.htm) than the general population. As scary as that sounds, experts say that most pregnant women who become ill with H1N1 swine flu (http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/default.htm) will not have a serious problem. If you are pregnant, here's what you need to know.
Why are pregnant women at higher risk from swine flu?
Experts aren't entirely sure, but they surmise that as the fetus (http://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/default.htm) develops and grows there’s more pressure on the mother’s breathing and lung function, increasing the risk of her developing secondary infections such as pneumonia (http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/pneumonia-topic-overview). Most of the maternal deaths from swine flu occurred in the third trimester (http://www.webmd.com/baby/pregnancy-your-babys-growth-development-months-7-to-9).
Also, there are changes that happen to a woman's immune system while she is pregnant that can make her more susceptible to infections such as flu.
Will pregnant women be allowed to take the swine flu vaccine when it is available?
Yes. Pregnant women fall under a “high risk” category, according to CDC guidelines. A vaccine advisory committee recommended that pregnant women and those caring for and living with infants be first in line for the vaccine.
Until the vaccine is available, what is the best way for someone who is pregnant to prevent swine flu?
“I am recommending that my patients avoid contact with anyone who has flu-like symptoms, including fever (http://children.webmd.com/tc/fever-age-4-and-older-topic-overview), muscle aches, and upper respiratory symptoms. I’m also telling my patients to be cautious around anyone whose close contacts have similar symptoms, especially children,” says Rebecca Yee, MD, an ob-gyn in San Francisco. Pregnant women should wash their hands frequently and avoid touching their eyes, nose, and mouth. They should avoid crowded settings in communities with swine flu outbreaks.
If a pregnant woman is exposed to someone with the virus, she should talk to her doctor about prophylactic use of Relenza.
If a pregnant woman gets swine flu, what is the best course of treatment?
She should take Tamiflu (http://www.webmd.com/drugs/mono-5294-OSELTAMIVIR+-+ORAL.aspx?drugid=17765&drugname=tamiflu+oral) as soon as possible, even before the results of her H1N1 swine flu test (http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/flu-guide/flu-diagnosis-tests) come back.
Could these medications cause harm to her unborn baby?
Some adverse effects have been reported in pregnant animals given Tamiflu, but no relation between the use of the drug and adverse events in pregnant women has been established.
“The risk of complications from untreated influenza greatly outweighs any of the theoretical risks related to taking either Tamiflu or Relenza,” says Mark Phillippe, MD, MHCM, professor and chairman of the department of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences at the University of Vermont College of Medicine.
Can a pregnant woman pass swine flu to her unborn baby?
“During severe infections with pandemic strains of influenza, it’s possible that the virus could infect the placenta, which carries blood to the fetus,” says Phillippe. While its to soon to know much about how swine flu affects a fetus, women with swine flu do seem to be at a higher risk for premature delivery. In past pandemics, pregnant women with flu had higher rates of stillbirth, spontaneous abortion (http://women.webmd.com/tc/abortion-topic-overview), and premature birth.
Also, flu comes with fever. Studies have shown that a fever during the first trimester (http://www.webmd.com/baby/1to3-months) doubles the risk of neural tube defects and may be associated with other adverse outcomes. The risk for birth defects (http://www.webmd.com/baby/tc/birth-defects-testing-what-are-birth-defects-tests) associated with fever may be mitigated by the use of anti-fever medications (http://www.webmd.com/drugs/index-drugs.aspx) and/or a multivitamin that contains folic acid (http://www.webmd.com/drugs/drug-8334-Folic+Acid+Oral.aspx?drugid=8334&drugname=Folic+Acid+Oral), but data are limited
اللينك
http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/features/swine-flu-pregnancy
By Karen Bruno
WebMD Feature
Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD (http://www.webmd.com/brunilda-nazario)
A recent study by the CDC found that pregnant (http://www.webmd.com/baby/default.htm) women are four times as likely to be hospitalized and are at higher risk of death and complications from swine flu (http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/swine-flu/default.htm) than the general population. As scary as that sounds, experts say that most pregnant women who become ill with H1N1 swine flu (http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/default.htm) will not have a serious problem. If you are pregnant, here's what you need to know.
Why are pregnant women at higher risk from swine flu?
Experts aren't entirely sure, but they surmise that as the fetus (http://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/default.htm) develops and grows there’s more pressure on the mother’s breathing and lung function, increasing the risk of her developing secondary infections such as pneumonia (http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/pneumonia-topic-overview). Most of the maternal deaths from swine flu occurred in the third trimester (http://www.webmd.com/baby/pregnancy-your-babys-growth-development-months-7-to-9).
Also, there are changes that happen to a woman's immune system while she is pregnant that can make her more susceptible to infections such as flu.
Will pregnant women be allowed to take the swine flu vaccine when it is available?
Yes. Pregnant women fall under a “high risk” category, according to CDC guidelines. A vaccine advisory committee recommended that pregnant women and those caring for and living with infants be first in line for the vaccine.
Until the vaccine is available, what is the best way for someone who is pregnant to prevent swine flu?
“I am recommending that my patients avoid contact with anyone who has flu-like symptoms, including fever (http://children.webmd.com/tc/fever-age-4-and-older-topic-overview), muscle aches, and upper respiratory symptoms. I’m also telling my patients to be cautious around anyone whose close contacts have similar symptoms, especially children,” says Rebecca Yee, MD, an ob-gyn in San Francisco. Pregnant women should wash their hands frequently and avoid touching their eyes, nose, and mouth. They should avoid crowded settings in communities with swine flu outbreaks.
If a pregnant woman is exposed to someone with the virus, she should talk to her doctor about prophylactic use of Relenza.
If a pregnant woman gets swine flu, what is the best course of treatment?
She should take Tamiflu (http://www.webmd.com/drugs/mono-5294-OSELTAMIVIR+-+ORAL.aspx?drugid=17765&drugname=tamiflu+oral) as soon as possible, even before the results of her H1N1 swine flu test (http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/flu-guide/flu-diagnosis-tests) come back.
Could these medications cause harm to her unborn baby?
Some adverse effects have been reported in pregnant animals given Tamiflu, but no relation between the use of the drug and adverse events in pregnant women has been established.
“The risk of complications from untreated influenza greatly outweighs any of the theoretical risks related to taking either Tamiflu or Relenza,” says Mark Phillippe, MD, MHCM, professor and chairman of the department of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences at the University of Vermont College of Medicine.
Can a pregnant woman pass swine flu to her unborn baby?
“During severe infections with pandemic strains of influenza, it’s possible that the virus could infect the placenta, which carries blood to the fetus,” says Phillippe. While its to soon to know much about how swine flu affects a fetus, women with swine flu do seem to be at a higher risk for premature delivery. In past pandemics, pregnant women with flu had higher rates of stillbirth, spontaneous abortion (http://women.webmd.com/tc/abortion-topic-overview), and premature birth.
Also, flu comes with fever. Studies have shown that a fever during the first trimester (http://www.webmd.com/baby/1to3-months) doubles the risk of neural tube defects and may be associated with other adverse outcomes. The risk for birth defects (http://www.webmd.com/baby/tc/birth-defects-testing-what-are-birth-defects-tests) associated with fever may be mitigated by the use of anti-fever medications (http://www.webmd.com/drugs/index-drugs.aspx) and/or a multivitamin that contains folic acid (http://www.webmd.com/drugs/drug-8334-Folic+Acid+Oral.aspx?drugid=8334&drugname=Folic+Acid+Oral), but data are limited
اللينك
http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/features/swine-flu-pregnancy