If you or your partner have been pregnant before, you must have noticed how pregnancy makes the body more vulnerable to illnesses. One of the common threats to pregnant women and their unborn children is influenza. Hence, it is important to learn about this respiratory illness, how it can affect pregnant women, and ways to prevent it.
The perils of pregnancy
Pregnant women are at higher risk of getting sick than non-pregnant women of the same age. This is because the immune system is naturally suppressed during pregnancy, thus increasing our risk of infections, including influenza. Pregnant women are also more vulnerable to severe influenza due to changes in the immune system, heart, and lungs during pregnancy. On top of that, influenza also poses hazards to the developing baby in the womb.
Symptoms
| Here are some common symptoms of influenza in pregnant women:
· Sudden onset of moderate to high fever · Chills · Dry cough · Runny nose · Nasal congestion · Sore throat · Headache · Muscle aches · Loss of appetite · Fatigue |
Get emergency medical attention if you experience any of these severe symptoms:
· Fever or cough that comes and goes, or gets worse · High fever that doesn’t change after taking paracetamol · Decreased or no movement of your baby · Dizziness, confusion, or the inability to wake up · Extreme weakness or unsteadiness · Trouble breathing or shortness of breath · Severe muscle pain · Ongoing pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen · Seizures · No urine for an extended period |
Complications
Most pregnant women will recover from influenza with no issue if they receive early diagnosis and treatment. Still, the risk of getting serious complications from influenza is higher during pregnancy. Here are some potential complications due to influenza during pregnancy:
- Admission to hospital or intensive care unit (ICU)
- Pneumonia
- Low birth weight
- Premature birth
- Developmental issues in the baby (e.g. neural tube defects)
- Miscarriage
- Death (mother or baby)
Treating and managing influenza
You may be prescribed with an antiviral if you are diagnosed early. Usually doctors will suggest the oral antiviral oseltamivir to pregnant women since many studies have verified its safety. Antivirals won’t cure influenza at once, but they can prevent symptoms from becoming more severe.
Doctors may also prescribe other medications to treat specific symptoms, e.g. paracetamol to reduce fever, cough drops to relieve respiratory symptoms, etc. Make sure that doctors are aware of your pregnancy to ensure that you are prescribed with medications that are safe for pregnancy. Always follow the instructions on all medications.
You may experience symptoms for a week or more. During the period, get sufficient rest and drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration. And take steps to avoid spreading the infection to other people around you, for example by limiting close contact with others, wearing a face mask, washing hands regularly, and covering your mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing.
Influenza vaccination for pregnant women
Influenza vaccination is an essential aspect of health care before, during and after pregnancy. Getting the influenza vaccine is the best way to protect pregnant women against severe influenza. All pregnant women are recommended to get the inactivated or recombinant influenza vaccine at any stage of pregnancy.
Even if you have received an influenza vaccine during a previous pregnancy, you should still get vaccinated for the current pregnancy. Influenza vaccination is recommended annually for all adults, including pregnant women, since circulating influenza strains vary from season to season and immunity tends to wane over time.
The safety of influenza vaccine during pregnancy has been proven by numerous studies and millions of people have been vaccinated over the years. It is also safe and effective to get the influenza shot together with other vaccines recommended in pregnancy, e.g. Tdap (tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis) vaccine, COVID-19 vaccine.
Additionally, influenza vaccination during pregnancy can also help protect newborns against influenza. After receiving the vaccine, antibodies produced by the mother is passed to the baby during pregnancy through the placenta. Vaccinated mothers can also pass the antibodies to their baby after birth through breastfeeding. This passive immunity is vital during the first few months of life because babies can only get an influenza shot once they turn 6 months old.
The 40-weeks of pregnancy is a challenging yet beautiful journey in a woman’s life as she strives to bring a new life into the world. And it is important for mothers-to-be to take the necessary precautions to ensure that they and their babies are healthy and protected against illnesses such as influenza. Thus, getting the influenza vaccine is one of the crucial steps to include your pregnancy to-do list.
