Complications from influenza, such
as pneumonia, can be serious and even deadly to mothers and their babies. The
March of Dimes recommends that pregnant women and women who expect to become
pregnant get a flu shot every year.
Flu season is right around the
corner and early fall is not too early for pregnant women, and women who expect
to become pregnant, to get their flu shot. Dr. Siobhan Dolan, a medical advisor
to March of Dimes, says “The influenza virus poses a serious risk of illness
and even death. Babies born to mothers who got their flu shot while pregnant
were protected from serious illness with influenza during their first six
months of life.”
Studies looking at thousands of
pregnant women receiving the seasonal flu vaccine found that babies did not
have a higher risk of premature birth or developing a birth defect when
compared to babies born to women who did not get a vaccine. Researchers found
that women who received the flu shot were less likely to experience a stillbirth.
In addition to the receiving the
vaccine, pregnant women can also lower their risk of catching influenza by
limiting contact with others who are sick, washing their hands with soap and
water before touching others and by coughing or sneezing into a tissue or arm.
Unimmunized pregnant women who develop influenza symptoms such as muscle aches,
fever and coughs should contact their health providers immediately to begin
treatment.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention recommends that everyone six months or older,
including pregnant women, receive
a vaccine against the influenza virus, ideally by October.
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