The swine (H1N1) flu promises to be on top of our minds again this flu season. Moms-to-be may be especially on edge and feeling vulnerable. Learn how to help protect yourself and your unborn baby from swine flu.
Pregnancy and swine flu
Any type of flu can be risky during pregnancy. Experts say swine flu can cause severe illness in otherwise healthy pregnant women. Compared with people in general, pregnant women with swine flu are more likely to be hospitalized, and they are at higher risk for complications and death. Women who gave birth or lost a pregnancy less than two weeks earlier are also at risk.
Luckily, most pregnant women who get swine flu will not become seriously ill. And the virus is responding to treatment with antiviral medications. The antiviral drugs Tamiflu (oseltamivir) and Relenza (zanamivir) appear to be effective in both preventing and treating this strain of flu. These medications may be used by pregnant women if needed.
How you can protect yourself
Vaccination is the single best way to prevent flu. Be sure to get both the seasonal flu and the H1N1 flu vaccine as soon as each is available. Pregnant women should get flu shots, not the nasal spray vaccine.
Pregnant women - and everyone else - should follow these tips to reduce their risk of contracting swine flu:
- Wash your hands often.
- Do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth.
- Limit contact with sick people. If you are pregnant, do not take on the role of caring for someone else who is ill, if you can avoid it.
- Consider wearing a facemask or respirator if you are around sick people or crowds in an area where there is an outbreak of swine flu.
- Have healthy habits. Get plenty of sleep, exercise regularly with your doctor's permission, manage your stress, drink plenty of water and eat healthy foods.
- Call your doctor if you have been exposed to someone who has the flu to see if you should be given a medicine to help prevent you from getting it as well.
If you feel sick
Call your doctor right away if you have any flu-like symptoms. Do so even if your symptoms are mild. Prompt treatment is key for you and your unborn baby. Ask your doctor how to treat any fever you might have. Treating fever right away is very important.
These symptoms require emergency medical care:
- Trouble breathing or fast breathing
- Chest pain or pressure
- Purple or bluish color of lips or skin
- Vomiting and unable to keep fluids down
- Any signs of dehydration, including dizziness or decreased urine
- Seizures or convulsions
- Confusion or being less responsive than usual
- Decreased or no movement of your baby
- A high fever that is not responding to treatment
Do not go to the emergency room if you are only mildly ill with flu symptoms. If you don't have the flu, you could catch it from people there who do have it.
A note about breast-feeding
If you breast-feed and get sick with swine flu, the CDC encourages you to keep on breast-feeding your child. You can also continue to breast-feed while you're taking antiviral medication. If you feel too ill to breast-feed, try to express your milk and let someone else bottle-feed the expressed milk to baby.
If a healthy adult is not available to care for your baby, take the following precautions:
- Always wash your hands carefully before you feed or hold your baby.
- If you are breast-feeding, wash your breast with mild soap and water and rinse well before each feeding.
- Wear a facemask to avoid infecting your baby.
- Use clean blankets and burp cloths each time you feed or hold your baby.
