Pregnancy Raises Swine Flu Death Risk, New CDC report

A CDC analysis shows that pregnant women are more likely than the general population to develop severe disease after infection with the pandemic H1N1 swine flu virus. They are four times more likely to be hospitalized, with an unusually high death rate.
For more details please visit : http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/news/20090729/pregnancy-ups-swine-flu-death-risk?page=2

or the original report published in the July 29 online issue of The Lancet.

Rina,

That is an interesting article.  I read through the Lancet article and, the data are pretty shakey to me.  34 cases of H1N1 in pregnant women were reported, 11 were hospitalized, and 6 died.  The authors imply but don't say this is likely due to a reluctance to prescribe Tamiflu or Relenza to pregnant women due to complications from the drugs as supposed to something inherently different about the way the virus infects pregnant women.  They recommend pregnant women be treated immediately instead of the normal waiting period.  I suppose that is prudent.  The possibility of drug complications is obviously less harmful than morbidity.


the bishop

Isn't it likely that pregnant women are naturally immunosuppressed (to protect the foetus) and are therefore less able to mount a fast response to the virus. The heavier pathology of the virus infection would result in more severe secondary infections (usually bacterial) which could cause septic shock & multiple organ failure.

I know that one pregnant Scot who had a severe response to the H1N1 virus had to be transferred to a Swedish clinic as the 5 beds in the UK that have the special equipment for artificially circulating blood outside the patient were all in use.

This is seems like HIV pregnants. wheather is it cross the umblical cord and make complication to the babies. I think we cannot come on conclusion about preganant swine flu case. lot more researech has to be carry out in this field.

I suspect it would be unlikely to cross the umbilical cord as you only really see full systemic influenza infection with the high path strains, but you are absolutely right in as far as more studies need to be performed.

During pregnancy the immune system along with other body systems is in striving condition to take care for the mother as well as the baby in womb. If during this condition any viral attack occurs the body has to re-route its soldiers to fight against the new attack and most of the times it fails thats why the idea of Anti-tetanus Serum came into the picture. The CDC report is really very important and more studies must be done in this area.