According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, pregnant women are more likely to get the flu than the rest of the population. For this reason, pregnant women are considered part of what is referred to as the high-risk group. When dealing with the flu, people in the high-risk group are advised to get vaccinated for flu.
The high-risk group includes pregnant women, healthcare workers, emergency responders, children people with compromised immune systems and the elderly.
Pregnant women should get a seasonal flu shot and they should get the vaccine as soon as they are available. Again, according to the CDC, there are several studies that show that the flu shot is safe for pregnant women and helps protect their unborn child.
Until a pregnant woman gets the flu shot, they should try to avoid close contact with sick people, and if exposed to the flu, a pregnant woman should contact her healthcare provider immediately.
Also, make a habit of washing hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds as often as possible.
Flu Symptoms
Symptoms of flu include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue, and sometimes diarrhea and vomiting.
Treatment of Flu
If a pregnant woman begins to feel any of the flu symptoms mentioned above, she should contact her healthcare provider immediately; she should not wait to see if symptoms improve or try to treat the flu alone. She should also speak to her doctor and devise a treatment plan and make sure to ask whether antiviral medicines are needed.
According to the Oregon Department of Public Health, a pregnant woman who develops a fever should treat it right away with acetaminophen -- Tylenol® is the name brand.
It is also important for a pregnant woman to drink lots of clear fluids such as water and get emergency medical care right away she experiences:
- Sudden dizziness
- Confusion
- Severe or persistent vomiting
- A hard time breathing or shortness of breath
- Pain or pressure in her chest or abdomen
- Less than normal fetal movement or no fetal movement
- A high fever that doesn’t get better after taking Tylenol®.
Newborns and Flu
Flu is very serious in young babies, according to the CDC, and children under six months of age cannot get flu shots. Research has shown that breastfeed babies do not get as sick and are sick less often from the flu than babies who are not breastfed.
A mother can help protect her baby from the flu by breastfeeding because breast milk has antibodies that get passed to the child when breastfeed and those antibodies fight infection.
Tips for Mothers Sick With Flu
A mother who is sick with the flu should ask for help from someone who is not sick to feed and care for the baby. If breastfeeding, pump the milk and have someone who is not sick feed the child the breast milk.
If there is no one else to help take care of the child while the mother is sick, then the mother should wash her hands often and wear a facemask when feeding or caring for the baby.
Reference:
“Pregnant Women and the Flu”; The Benefits Bulletin, October 2009.
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