Guidance for pregnant women

Pregnant women are among the groups considered to be at a “higher risk” from swine flu than the general population. The information provided here will hopefully address some of those concerns.

Does swine flu pose special risks for pregnant women?
During pregnancy your resistance to infection is reduced and this may put you at an increased risk of any kind of flu virus. Throughout history new types of flu virus have emerged that have been similar to the swine flu virus and this has demonstrated that pregnant women have in the past been at higher risk of becoming ill from new flu viruses than those women who are not pregnant.

Protecting yourself from swine flu

Current guidance in the UK for pregnant and breast feeding women remains unchanged. Pregnant women are advised to practice good hand hygiene by washing hands frequently with soap and water. Tissues should be used to cover the mouth and nose when coughing, sneezing, and used tissues should be disposed of promptly. (Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. 17th July 2009)

People who have swine flu are infectious when they develop symptoms. As a way of protecting yourself it is advisable to avoid contact with people you know who have swine flu until they are symptom free. If someone you live with gets swine flu contact your GP for advice, as you may need the antiviral drugs.

What to do if you are pregnant and think you have swine flu
If you are pregnant the symptoms will be the same as everyone who experiences swine flu and similar to seasonal flu. Symptoms include:
• Fever and any two of the following:
• cough
• sore throat
• runny nose
• limb/joint pain
• headache

If you think you have swine flu stay at home and contact your local GP for further advice.

If it is outside normal GP surgery hours and you are concerned about your symptoms call West Yorkshire Urgent Care Service (0345 605 9999) who will give you advice and issue prescription of antiviral medication if you need it.

Treatment
Women with symptoms who are advised to take antiviral medication should do so. Antiviral medication is not a cure but can reduce the severity of infection. It is most effective if taken within the first 48 hours of symptoms developing but can be taken up to seven days after symptoms start.

There is no evidence to suggest that the use of antiviral medication will cause harm to the baby.

During pregnancy it is also important to treat the fever by taking paracetamol; this is known to be safe in pregnancy.
If you are breastfeeding

Women who are breastfeeding should continue to do so. Breastfeeding is generally beneficial in limiting the severity of respiratory infection in infants. Breastfeeding can continue while taking antiviral medication. The antiviral medication may be excreted into breast milk but in very small amounts and this has not been associated with any ill effects in babies.