Swine Flu & Pregnancy: NHS Tips

[Jamie]

Now I'm usually not one for simply copying and pasting offical things into a sticky and not putting in my own input, but in the end the medical experts know the best. For those of you out of the UK, the NHS is our national health service and pretty much the highest authority we have on medicine from the government so these tips are pretty much 100% accurate and what you need. I thought I'd post it here so all expectant mothers here can take appropriate steps to ensure all mothers & child are fine.


Why pregnant women are more at risk

In pregnancy, the immune system is naturally suppressed. This means that pregnant women are more likely to catch swine flu, and if they do catch it, they are more likely to develop complications (see below).

Don't panic: your immune system still functions and the risk of complications is very small. Most pregnant women will only have mild symptoms.

Symptoms and risks

If you are pregnant and you catch swine flu, the symptoms should be similar to those of regular flu. Typical symptoms are a fever and a cough, but you may also have:
tiredness,
headache,
aching muscles,
runny nose,
sore throat,
nausea, or
diarrhoea.

Most pregnant women will have only mild symptoms and recover within a week. However, there is evidence from previous flu pandemics that pregnant women are more likely to develop complications.

Possible complications are:
pneumonia (an infection of the lungs),
difficulty breathing, and
dehydration.

In pregnant women, these are more likely to happen in the second and third trimester.

If a pregnant woman develops a complication of swine flu, such as pneumonia, there is a small chance this will lead to premature labour or miscarriage. There is not yet enough information to know precisely how likely these birth risks are.

It is therefore important to be well prepared and to take precautions against swine flu.

Special precautions

If you are pregnant, you can reduce your risk of infection by avoiding unnecessary travel and avoiding crowds where possible.

Pregnant women should also follow tis general advice: If you are pregnant and have flu-like symptoms:

Stay at home and call your GP, who will be able to give a diagnosis over the phone.
If swine flu is confirmed, your GP will advise you on how to collect antiviral medication.
Ask a healthy friend or relative to pick up the antiviral medication for you.

In the meantime, take paracetamol to reduce fever and other symptoms. Drink plenty of fluids and get lots of rest.

If a family member or other close contact has swine flu, your doctor may prescribe you antiviral medication (usually Relenza) as a prophylactic (preventative) measure.

If you think that you may have swine flu, call your doctor for an assessment immediately. If your doctor confirms swine flu over the phone, you will be prescribed antiviral medication to take as soon as possible (see box, left).

Unless you have swine flu symptoms, carry on attending your antenatal appointments to monitor the progress of your pregnancy.

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Pandemi...aspx?WT.srch=1