Swine flu and pregnancy

Here is a collection of recent articles from around the web related to swine flu and pregnancy.


Swine flu woman taken to Sweden
A pregnant British woman critically ill with swine flu has been flown to a Swedish hospital for specialist treatment.
The 26-year-old from Ayrshire is suffering a rare complication.
She has been transferred to Stockholm because there are no beds available in the UK for the procedure she needs.
The Scot was admitted to Crosshouse Hospital in Kilmarnock last week where she was put on a ventilator because of an extreme reaction to the H1N1 virus.
Meanwhile, a new website to diagnose people with swine flu crashed within minutes of launching yesterday as it was deluged with thousands of hits a second.

www.msn.com


Swine flu pregnancy tips reissued

The Department of Health has attempted to clarify its guidelines to expectant mothers and parents with children under five on how best to avoid swine flu.

Its advice to practise good hygiene by washing hands and surfaces regularly has been re-issued after a woman with the virus died soon after giving birth.

The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) says all expectant mothers should avoid crowded places and unnecessary travel.

But the DoH says only the "particularly concerned" should consider the advice.

Concern over the effects of swine flu on new and expectant mothers has heightened since the death of Ruptara Miah, 39, in London's Whipps Cross Hospital on 13 July. Her baby is said to be very ill in intensive care.

Another child under six months old, who died in London, is also among the latest victims of the virus.


Swine flu advice for pregnant women from the Royal College of Midwives
The refreshed DoH advice has been given greater prominence on its website.

Health experts say expectant mothers could suffer possible complications if they contract swine flu, such as pneumonia, breathing difficulties and dehydration, because they have suppressed immune systems. Young children are also vulnerable.

Most mothers-to-be with swine flu are being prescribed Relenza, an inhaled antiviral drug which treats the virus without reaching the foetus. However, where it is particularly severe, doctors can offer Tamiflu instead.

'Informed decision'

The NHS website stresses that most expectant mothers who contract swine flu will only have mild symptoms and recover within a week.

Earlier, advice on the National Childbirth Trust (NCT) website had sparked consternation for suggesting women delay pregnancy, but the NCT has subsequently played down fears.

Belinda Phipps, chief executive of the NCT, said that while the risks for expectant mothers were low, women needed information to make an informed decision.

"If you are pregnant, you are slightly more susceptible to all infections. One of them is swine flu.

"It is important that pregnant women know that - and particularly other members of the population know that - so that they behave responsibly and if they are sick they don't go and put themselves close to a pregnant woman."



Alan Johnson: NCT advice "an overreaction"
The Department of Health said it advised women to plan their pregnancy carefully, but was not advising against trying to conceive.

"Mums-to-be are more vulnerable to any type of flu. It is particularly important that anyone who has existing health problems and is thinking about starting a family should talk to their GP first, as they normally would," a DoH spokesman said.

Louise Silverton, deputy general secretary of the RCM, said women could not be expected to wait for the first wave of the pandemic to end before trying for a baby.

Speaking on BBC One's Andrew Marr Show, Alan Johnson, the new home secretary, said an unexpected aspect of the virus was that it was attacking the young, not the elderly as with seasonal flu.

He called on parents to keep using their common sense, saying the "vast majority" had been following public health advice.

'Still confused'

But Elina Trofimczuk, who is pregnant, said she is still confused.

"It is obviously concerning. Also the fact that they're advising us to avoid crowded places, I think that is quite confusing to us, as I work in a busy shopping centre."

Twenty-nine people have now died in the UK after contracting swine flu - 26 in England and three in Scotland.

The government has warned that the number of deaths from the virus this winter in the UK could reach between 19,000 and 65,000.

However, during the 1999 to 2000 winter, seasonal flu deaths reached 21,000 and even during average winters there are normally anywhere between 6,000 to 8,000 deaths.

www.bbc.co.uk


Pregnancy and swine flu
Mums-to-be run a higher risk of catching swine flu because the immune system is naturally suppressed during pregnancy, and they are also more likely to develop complications such as pneumonia. These risks of complications are greater during the second and third trimesters. There have been over 100, 000 new cases of swine flu in the UK over the past week, and while most have been mild, the government has issued special advice concerning pregnancy:

At present, pregnant women are not advised to avoid work, public transport, events and family gatherings, but you can take the following precautions to reduce the risk of infection:

- Avoid unecessary travel and crowds where possible.
- Avoid people who are infected or think they may have swine flu. If someone close to you or someone in your family has swine flu, your doctor may prescribe antiviral medication as a precaution.

In addition, make sure you maintain the advised levels of hygiene to reduce the risk of catching and spreading swine flu:


Wash your hands frequently
Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue if you cough of sneeze
Dispose of dirty tissues immediately
Clean hard surfaces such as door handles frequently.
What should I do if I think I have swine flu?
A National Pandemic Flu Service and website www.pandemicflu.direct.gov.uk have been set up for enquiries and diagnosis. However, pregnant women should phone their GP immediately if they suspect they have swine flu. Early diagnosis is important. A friend or relative will be able to pick up medication if it is required, but you should not go into a doctor's surgery or hospital to avoid spreading the disease.

http://www.sofeminine.co.uk