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Swine flu

Pregnant women are considered to be in one of the “high risk” groups for swine flu, so it is important that you protect yourself and your baby. We will try to explain why pregnant women are at greater risk, what the risks are, precautions you should take and some safety information.

Why are pregnant women considered “High Risk”

In pregnancy, to help manage the fact that another human being is growing inside you, your immune system is naturally suppressed. Therefore pregnant women are more likely to catch swine flu – and if they do catch it they are more likely to develop complications.

There is no need to panic – you do still have a working immune system and the risk of complications is still very small. Most pregnant women will only suffer mild symptoms.

Risks and Symptoms

The symptoms are typically similar to those of regular seasonal human flu – fever and cough, sometimes tiredness, headache, aching muscles, runny nose, sore throat, nausea or diarrhoea.

Most pregnant women will recover within a week having only experienced mild symptoms. However experience from previous flu pandemics indicates that pregnant women are more likely to develop certain complications.

If a pregnant women develops a complication, such as pneumonia, there is a small chance that premature labour or miscarriage may result. Not enough is yet known to be able to say how likely these birth risks are.

For these reasons you should be well prepared and take precautions against swine flu.

Special Precautions

Avoid unnecessary travel and avoid crowds where possible.

Follow the general advice below for good hygeine.

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

If you think you may have swine flu, call your doctor (ignore the national swine flu number) immediately for an assessment. If your doctor confirms swine flu over the telephone, you will be prescribed antiviral medication as soon as possible. You should ask a friend or relative to pick this up for you, the doctor will explain the process.

Unless you have swine flu symptoms, carry on attending your usual antenatal appointments so you can monitor safely your pregnancy as it progresses.

Swine flu treatment

Relenza, the usual antival drug given, is inhaled using a disk-shaped inhaler. It is recommended for pregnant women as it reaches the throat and lungs easily – where it is needed. It does not reach significant levels in your blood or placenta – and should not affect your pregnancy or growing baby.

You may be given Tamiflu instead, if your doctor or midwifery specialist thinks you need it, most often in cases of severe flu.

Relenza is not recommended for people with asthma or COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) as some people have had wheezing or serious breathing problems. Other possible side effects are headaches, diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting.

Tamiflu is known to give nausea as a side effect in a small number of cases.

If you take an antiviral and have side effects, arrange to see your healthcare professional to check you are ok, then report your suspected drug reaction to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) via their new online system here: MHRA

Painkillers

Paracetamol is safe to take in pregnancy, so you can also take paracetamol-base cold remedies to reduce fever and other symptoms.

Pregnant women should NOT take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Nurofen).

Vaccine

In the autumn it is hoped a swine flu vaccine will be available.

You should take the swine flu vaccine as soon as it is offered – it will not harm your unborn baby.

General Advice on Hygeine

To help to reduce the chance of catching or spreading swine flu – please ensure you follow this advice:

• Always cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing.
• Dispose of dirty tissues promptly and carefully.
• Maintain good basic hygeine, for example wash hands frequently with soap and warm water to reduce the spread of the virus from hands to face.
• Clean hard surfaces (such as door handles) frequently using a normal cleaning product.

Further Information

Please see NHS website here

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