Pregnancy and H1N1
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Did You Know?
"However, for some pregnant women, illness might progress rapidly, and might be complicated by secondary bacterial infections including pneumonia." (CDC.gov)
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), pregnant women are more susceptible to the H1N1 virus, the deadly influenza strain currently sweeping the nation.
Six pregnant women in the United States died after contracting the H1N1 virus. All six were previously healthy before contracting the flu.
Now that the World Health Organization (WHO) has labeled it as a pandemic, pregnant women need to take caution. The uncontrolled, rapid growth of H1N1 will kill more at risk groups, including pregnant women, during the upcoming flu season. But they can protect themselves from contracting it in the first place.
Want to fight it? Don't wait: get educated, learn how to prevent H1N1, and protect your unborn child this season. Prevention is the best way to prevent getting sick--and possibly dying from serious complications.
Poll
What are you doing to prevent catching the H1N1 virus?
See results without votingSymptoms
In pregnant women, these symptoms sometimes progress faster, often due to a decrease in their immune system.
- Body aches
- Headache
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Chills
- Fatigue
- Vomiting, Nausea
- Diarrhea
Complications
Although most women recover within one or two weeks, some do not. Advancement of influenza caused by the virus can cause these serious and sometimes deadly complications:
- Spontaneous abortion
- Premature birth
- Birth defects
- Pneumonia
- Sudden death
Additional Reading
(Associated Content) H1N1 and Pregnant Women: Risks, Complications, Treatment
(Associated Content) Prenatal Care and Swine Flu
(CBS News) H1N1 and Pregnancy: What You Need to Know
(CDC.gov) What Pregnant Women Should Know about H1N1
