Pregnancy And The Flu Epidemic

Pregnant women are more susceptible to flu, and transferred it harder than other categories of people. Statistics said that the need for hospitalization and treatment in the intensive care ward of the flu in a few times higher among pregnant women in comparison with other population groups. This is because during pregnancy increases the load on the cardiovascular and immune systems, and the accession of a viral infection often leads to a breakdown at the limit of adaptation mechanisms. The most common complications of influenza during pregnancy are pneumonia, dehydration and premature birth. Influenza has adverse consequences for the health of the unborn child.

Children from convalescents during pregnancy, mothers are usually born with low birth weight and are often hospitalized in the hospital with various illnesses during the first year of life. To the expectant mother to protect themselves from influenza during seasonal rise in the incidence should strictly abide by the following preventive measures: – Avoid contact with flu patients in human beings. If a family has sick, then put it in a separate room and wearing personal protective mask when in contact with him. It is desirable that a sick courting someone else, not a pregnant woman. – Frequently and thoroughly (for about 15-20 seconds) to wash hands with soap, especially before eating.

– Avoid touching the face, eyes and nose with unwashed hands. The most important means of preventing influenza is vaccination. Despite the fact that the results of clinical trials of influenza vaccines in pregnant women there is not accumulated many years of data indicate the absence of harm to the health of children due to vaccination of their mothers during pregnancy. This year, in connection with the concurrent risk seasonal flu, and governments in many countries recommend that expectant mothers get immunized against both types of virus. Vaccination can be performed in any period of pregnancy. Vaccination is not compulsory, but recommended. For the vaccination of pregnant women using inactivated virus. Live vaccine with attenuated virus and the vaccine nasal spray should not be used during pregnancy. Flu symptoms are: high fever, cough, nasal congestion or runny nose, sore throat, headache, body aches, chills, weakness, diarrhea and sometimes vomiting. If you are ill, you should: – Call the doctor at home – to isolate themselves from others, and the inevitable contact put on a protective mask – Drink plenty of fluids – Irrigate your nose and gargle with saline solution – If there is a need for drugs to avoid harmful fruit resources. Safe in pregnancy are Paracetamol (antipyretic), Diphenhydramine (antihistamine), pseudoephedrine (vasoconstrictor in the nose) after the first trimester. Call an ambulance needed if you appeared at least one of the following symptoms: fever, did not decrease after paracetamol, shortness of breath or choking, pain in the chest or abdomen, severe or persistent vomiting, sudden dizziness, confusion Consciousness, reduction or absence of fetal movements. Pregnancy – a happy kid while waiting. Do not let flu spoil it!