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To our pregnant patients,
Many of your have expressed concerns about how you should
approach the fall and winter seasons and safeguard yourself and your baby from
infection with influenza, including the HINI strain. We are all concerned
because pregnant women (especially in the third trimester) and infants are at
very high risk of influenza related complications. We hope the following
information will help answer those questions and serve as a guide for you about
the vaccinations, prevention and possible treatment if you have an
exposure.
What is it?
As you may know, the novel HIN1 virus
(also known as swine flu) is a new influenza virus that was first detected in
the spring of 2009. H1N1 is easily spread between people, either through
coughing or sneezing or by touching an infected surface and then touching the
mouth or nose.
What signs and symptoms should you look for?
The
standard symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose or nasal
congestion, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Diarrhea and vomiting
have also been associated with H1N1 infection. While most healthy adults
recover without needing medical treatment, about 1/3 of pregnant patients will
need hospitalization, usually due to severe respiratory issues. Others
considered to be at high risk for complications from H1N1 include people with
diabetes, asthma, heart and kidney disease as well as young children and their
caregivers.
How can you protect yourself, your baby and your
family?
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or
sneeze, or sneeze into your sleeve. Throw the tissue away after you use
it.
- Wash hands often with soap and warm water for 15-20
seconds, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based gel hand cleaners
are also good to use.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. The virus can
live on surfaces like door knobs for up to 8 hours.
- Try to avoid close contact with sick people. If a family
member has flu-like symptoms, try to arrange for another person to care for
them.
- Get vaccinated against the H1N1 strain and the seasonal
flu.
What should you do if you get sick?
- If you think you may have had an exposure to H1N1, watch
for any signs and symptoms that you may be getting sick.
- If you get sick, stay home and limit contact with others
and notify our office. Depending on your symptoms we may need to see you for
testing or arrange for treatment. If you are seen in our office, we will ask
you to wear a mask to avoid exposing other patients.
- If you have close contact with someone with H1N1, please
notify our office to discuss whether you need treatment to reduce your chance
of getting the flu.
- If you have a fever, treat it immediately with Tylenol.
Will an influenza infection hurt your baby?
We
don't know whether this infection will affect the baby. We do know that
traditional influenza infections in pregnancy can result in preterm labor and
severe pneumonia. Most hospitalizations of pregnant women infected with H1N1
were due to severe respiratory issues. Unfortunately some healthy pregnant
women with severe infections have died as a result. Infection at the same time
with H1N1 and seasonal influenza is possible and can have very serious
outcomes.
Can you get medication to treat or prevent the
infection?
Tamiflu (oseltamivir) or Relenza (zanamivir) are 2 anti-viral
drugs that can be used in pregnancy for treatment of H1N1 or seasonal flu. They
work best when started within 2 days of symptoms. Though there is little
information about the effects of these drugs in pregnancy for mother or baby,
no serious side effects have been reported.
What if you get the flu and you are
breastfeeding?
Continue to breastfeed! This helps your baby get
antibodies that may protect from infection. Try not to cough or sneeze in the
baby's face and wash your hands often with soap and water. You can continue to
breastfeed while taking Tamiflu or Relenza.
What about the seasonal flu?
While there is a lot
of concern about the H1N1 virus, the seasonal flu is also dangerous to pregnant
women, though not as severe in most cases as the H1N1 virus. We strongly
recommend that all of our patients receive the seasonal flu shot which is now
available. You can receive it at Atrium or at other locations if you prefer.
This is an inactivated vaccine which means you cannot "get the flu" from
getting the shot.
The seasonal flu shot administered in our office is
thimerosol (mercury)-free. Some people are concerned that thimerosol exposure
has been associated with autism risk. Excellent studies over large populations
have found no correlation between thimerosol exposure and autism risk. However,
we do not want that concern to be a deterrent to your receiving a flu shot and
only provide the thimerosol-free version. As with H1N1, infection with the
seasonal flu during pregnancy can become very serious and result in preterm
labor and severe pneumonia requiring hospitalization.
When can you get the flu shot?
Atrium has just
begun offering the seasonal flu shot. You can make an appointment to receive
the flu shot or plan to get it at your next appointment. We have applied for
access to the H1N1 vaccinations as well and will make information available as
soon as we know. We strongly recommend that all our pregnant patients,
regardless of trimester; receive both the seasonal flu shot and the H1N1
shot.
Please feel free to discuss any concerns you have about
either the H1N1 strain or seasonal influenza with any of the providers.
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