Study highlights severe risk of swine flu to pregnant women
Study highlights severe risk of swine flu to pregnant women
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By Darren Estwick. |  |
Friday, 19, Mar 2010 12:10
By Richard James.
Women with swine flu are 13 times more likely to suffer critical illness if they are pregnant, new research has revealed.
The study published on bmj.com was based on research with pregnant women in Australia and New Zealand and found 11 per cent of mothers and 12 per cent of babies died as a result of being admitted to intensive care with swine flu during the winter of 2009.
During the study period, 209 women of child-bearing age were admitted to intensive care units (ICU) in Australia and New Zealand with confirmed swine flu.
Sixty-four of these (30.6 per cent) were either pregnant or had recently given birth, 57 were admitted to an ICU in Australia and seven to an ICU in New Zealand.
The study found that women who were more than 20 weeks pregnant were 13 times more likely to be admitted to an ICU than non-pregnant women who had swine flu.
Forty-four (68.7 per cent) of the women had to be put on ventilators to assist with breathing and of these, nine women (14.1 per cent) needed further assistance to help oxygen reach their heart and lungs.
Overall, of all those admitted to hospital, seven (11 per cent) of the mothers and seven (12 per cent) of the babies died.
The authors of the report noted none of the women in the study had been immunised against seasonal flu, despite strong recommendations that pregnant women should be immunised.
In an accompanying editorial, Dr Stephen Lapinsky, from the Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, said the study "provides detailed data to enhance our understanding of maternal risk as well as the maternal and neonatal outcome".