CDC Interim Guidance: Pregnant Women and Swine Influenza: Considerations for Clinicia

[CDC Swine Flu]

Pregnant women with swine influenza would be expected to present with typical acute respiratory illness (e.g., cough, sore throat, rhinorrhea) and fever or feverishness. Many pregnant women will go on to have a typical course of uncomplicated influenza. However, for some pregnant women, illness might progress rapidly, and might be complicated by secondary bacterial infections including pneumonia.

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[indigo girl]

Yes, this is the sobering truth about influenza, and very important information. We have been seeing this with H5N1, bird flu cases as well and it would not be unexpected with Swine Flu. Thank you for posting this. It is important to educate pregnant women about the risk of any kind of influenza infection, not to frighten them but to enable them to make informed decisions.

If you are pregnant, and there is a Swine Flu outbreak in your area, consider staying home.

Evidence that influenza can be more severe in pregnant women comes from observations during previous pandemics and from studies among pregnant women who had seasonal influenza. An excess of influenza-associated deaths among pregnant women were reported during the pandemics of 1918-1919 and 1957-1958. Adverse pregnancy outcomes have been reported following previous influenza pandemics, with increased rates of spontaneous abortion and preterm birth reported, especially among women with pneumonia. Case reports and several epidemiologic studies conducted during interpandemic periods also indicate that pregnancy increases the risk for influenza complications for the mother and might increase the risk for adverse perinatal outcomes or delivery complications.

http://crofsblogs.typepad.com/h5n1/2009/04/egypt-more-on-the-latest-case.html

This woman died from H5N1 on April 22nd in Egypt. She was 33 weeks pregnant.