A new study suggests that swine flu during pregnancy is usually relatively harmless.
Pregnant women have been amongst the highest profile casualties of swine flu – but the latest findings suggest most pregnant women suffer few ill-effects, especially if treated promptly.
The research comes from the KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Singapore. Dr May Li Lim and colleagues took figures from 211 confirmed cases of the swine flu virus, Influenza A H1N1, among pregnant women between May and September 2009.
Most of the women experienced fever. Cough was the most common symptom at presentation, followed by runny nose and sore throat. The women often had muscle ache, headache, and sometimes breathlessness.
On average the women had been ill for two days before attending hospital. All were given antiviral treatment, except three who felt they were improving. All had Tamiflu except one who asked for Relenza.
The 29 per cent of women admitted to hospital stayed for an average of four days. These women were more likely to be breathless – indicating lung complications – and have other health problems such as asthma, high blood pressure or gestational diabetes. All patients recovered completely.
Full details are published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
The authors say there were relatively few pregnancy complications: three first trimester miscarriages, two premature labours, and a "suspicious" recording of foetal heart rate.
Following the SARS outbreak in 2003, Singapore is well equipped for early presentation, diagnosis and treatment of swine flu in pregnant women.
Dr May Li Lim said: "This is a largest observational study of pregnant women with A H1N1 (2009) infection published so far. The majority of the 211 women recovered without any adverse events from the infection.
"Our observations suggest that H1N1 (2009) infection in pregnancy may be a relatively benign disease, particularly if diagnosed and treated early."
The journal editor Professor Philip Steer said: "This is the largest study on swine flu in pregnancy to date and shows there are benefits to prompt and decisive action in the treatment of confirmed cases."
Lim, M. et al. Influenza A/H1N1 (2009) infection in pregnancy: an Asian perspective. BJOG 2010.
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