Influenza and Pregnancy
by D’Andra Bingham, M.D.
After an Arklatex summer, everyone is usually more than ready for some cooler weather. Unfortunately, autumn also heralds the beginning of flu season. Influenza is particularly dangerous for pregnant women.
During pregnancy, there are changes in the immune system, heart and lungs that make pregnant women more prone to complications such as pneumonia, need for hospitalization, and even death. Pregnant women with the flu also have a greater risk for problems with their unborn babies such as preterm labor and delivery and exposure to high maternal fever.
The best way for a pregnant woman to protect herself and her baby from influenza and its complications is to get a flu shot. Flu shots are considered to be safe in pregnancy. The flu shot has been given to millions of pregnant women throughout all trimesters and has not been shown to cause any harm to women or their infants.
The influenza vaccine is an inactivated vaccine, which means there is no infectious material present. Therefore, it is not possible to get influenza from a flu shot. This is not necessarily true for FliMist (which is given intranasally) and so pregnant women should not take FluMist.
No part of the vaccine crosses the placenta. However, antibodies made by the mother can cross the placenta as well as cross into the breast milk, thereby conferring some passive protection to newborns. This is extremely important because newborns have weak immune systems and babies less than six months of age are not given flu shots.
And just so the new dads are grandparents don’t feel left out, they should be immunized too. In fact, anyone who anticipates close contact with a baby less than six months of age should get a flu shot to help protect the baby.
Getting a flu shot will provide significant protection from influenza, but it is not a hundred percent protective. If a pregnant woman has close contact with someone with influenza or has flu-like symptoms (high fever not relieved by acetaminophen, shortness of breath, severe vomiting, body aches) she should contact her health care provider to see if anti-viral medications are needed. Remember, though, it is much better to prevent the illness with a vaccine than to have to treat with medication during pregnancy.
Most obstetricians’ offices and health clinics are currently offering flu shots to pregnant women. Many of the local pharmacies are also making flu shots available and will help file it on insurance. October and November are the prime times to get immunized.
Consider your flu shot as important as your prenatal vitamins… it is a vital part of a healthy pregnancy during the fall!
More information is available at www.cdc.gov and www.acog.org.
D’Andra Bingham practices Obstetrics and Gynecology with the Collom & Carney Clinic. She received her Doctor of Medicine from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and completed her residency with University of Texas Southwestern at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, Texas.
