Children born to women who received a new flu vaccine did not suffer any impact on their development, researchers are set to report today.
The findings were welcomed by midwives, who said they reinforce other studies of the safety of the flu vaccine.
Vaccination for pregnant women was introduced following the H1N1 swine flu outbreak five years ago.
Pregnant women were among the most vulnerable to the new strain of flu.
But in subsequent years many women have been reluctant to undergo vaccination.
The latest findings are to be revealed to the conference of the European Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases in Dublin, Ireland.
The study found now impact of vaccination on the growth or development of children in the first year of life.
Louise Silverton, of the Royal College of Midwives, said: “This is good news as it confirms the results of previous studies on the safety of the flu vaccine for pregnant women and their unborn baby.
“We continue to recommend that pregnant women have the flu vaccination during the flu season (autumn and winter) to protect themselves and their baby from the effects of flu.
"We also urge midwives and other health professionals to have the vaccination to protect themselves, their family and the people they care for from the infection.”
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