Warning after flu death of mother

Tuesday June 16th, 2009

A baby died yesterday following the death of its mother in Scotland from swine flu.

The baby was not reported to have contracted flu but had been born prematurely after his mother, aged 38, fell critically ill from the disease and later died.

The dead woman, the first European fatality from the new virus, was named as Jacqueline Fleming last night.

Official sources in Scotland stated she had suffered from "underlying health problems".

As she died, experts in Canada, which has had four deaths, called for more attention to be paid to the risks to pregnant women.

Doctors said that of the new anti-flu drugs, Tamiflu is the safest for pregnant women.

Experts from the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada, warned that pregnant women were at "high risk" from complications from swine flu.

Writing in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, Dr Shinya Oto states: "Oseltamivir appears to be the drug of choice because there are more data on its safety in pregnancy."

The official British total of cases yesterday reached 1,320 whilst globally the total reached 35,928 in 76 countries with 163 confirmed deaths.

Tags: Childbirth and Pregnancy | Flu & Viruses | Traveller Health | Women’s Health & Gynaecology | World Health

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