Influenza During Pregnancy: Symptoms, Prevention, And Care Tips I BabyChakra

Sudeshna Chakravarti

Author | 799 Articles

Influenza, more commonly known as the flu, is a contagious viral infection that affects your respiratory system and causes symptoms like fever, cough, and body aches. Recently, hospitals across India have reported thousands of influenza A sub-type H3N2 cases, and if you are expecting at the moment, you may wonder how to prevent influenza during pregnancy and what precautionary measures to take.

In this post, we have discussed more about this disease, how it affects your pregnancy, and the dos and don’ts to keep in mind to protect yourself against influenza during this crucial time.

Influenza During Pregnancy

Influenza is a highly contagious illness that travels from one person to another and causes a widespread outbreak. When someone with the flu coughs or sneezes without covering their mouth and nose, the virus can spread through the air and on different surfaces.

Influenza during pregnancy is most likely to cause severe symptoms due to the low immunity of the expecting mums and may require hospitalisation in some cases.

Symptoms Of Influenza During Pregnancy

Unlike the common cold, influenza occurs with a sudden onset of symptoms, including:

Stuffy or runny nose
Persistent cough
Sneezing
Fever
Sore throat
Headache
Chills
Fatigue
Body ache
Diarrhoea

Influenza symptoms may resolve on their own, but if they persist for more than a week without any improvement, you should seek immediate medical care. If left untreated, influenza can cause:

Ear infection
Abdominal pain
Pneumonia
Cardiac issues
Bronchitis

How Does Influenza During Pregnancy Affect Your baby?

Severe flu symptoms can adversely affect your baby’s development. High fever can cause neural tube defects and other complications in your developing baby.

Hence, if you notice any of the flu symptoms, make sure to consult your doctor immediately for advise. Also, avoid taking any medications without consultation as that can further affect both your and your baby’s health.

How Is Influenza During Pregnancy Diagnosed?

To diagnose your condition, your doctor may recommend one of the following influenza tests:

Rapid influenza diagnostic test (RIDT): This test determines whether you have an influenza infection by detecting the influenza viral nucleoprotein antigen in your blood. It can offer results in 10-15 minutes through its colour-changing and other visual signs.
Rapid molecular assay: This test detects influenza by checking the presence of influenza virus nucleic acids through your upper respiratory tract specimens. This test gives results in 10-15 minutes.

Treatment Of Influenza During Pregnancy

After confirming your diagnosis, your doctor may prescribe a pregnancy-safe antiviral medication. While these medications do not fully cure the flu, they can prevent your symptoms from worsening.

Many healthcare providers prefer administering oral antivirals during pregnancy, such as oseltamivir. This is because oseltamivir has the least amount of side effects on pregnant or breastfeeding women.

How To Treat Influenza Symptoms At Home?

Your flu symptoms may last for up to 3-5 days or even a week. Make sure to take ample rest and drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration during this time.

Once your symptoms subside, consult your doctor about when to take the flu symptom to prevent this virus from recurring.

How To Prevent Influenza During Pregnancy?

The best way to prevent influenza during pregnancy is by getting a flu vaccine, especially before the flu season starts. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is safe for pregnant women to take flu shots anytime during their gestational period.

Besides keeping you safe during pregnancy, the CDC states that the flu vaccine can also help protect your baby once they are born. The vaccine antibodies pass to your baby through the placenta during pregnancy, and after birth, they receive these antibodies through breast milk. This is crucial in protecting your baby in the first few months of their life, as they do not get the flu shot until they are six months old.

Additional Dos And Don’ts To Follow

The apex health research agency has also suggested a list of dos and don’ts to follow to prevent influenza during pregnancy. Take a look at them!

Dos

Wash your hands with soap and water frequently
Wear face masks outside and try to avoid crowded areas
Cover your mouth and nose properly while sneezing or coughing
Consume plenty of liquids to stay hydrated
Take only prescribed medicines by your doctor
Avoid high-touch areas
Add nutritious foods to your diet to boost immunity

Don’ts

Touch your mouth and nose with dirty hands
Shake your hands with affected people
Don’t spit in public
Self-medicate with antibiotics as that can harm your and your baby’s health
Eat while sitting next to a crowded space

When To Contact Your Doctor?

You should be regularly updating your doctor with your symptoms and if there has been any improvement. In addition to this, if you notice any of the symptoms discussed below, seek medical care immediately by visiting the nearest hospital.

Decreased movement of your baby
Experiencing dizziness or confusion
Extreme fatigue
Inability to urinate for an extended period
Severe pain in muscles
Shortness of breath
Sudden chest or abdominal pain

Conclusion

We hope to have answered all your queries on influenza during pregnancy and precautionary measures to follow to prevent the spread of this illness. If you see no improvement in your health after 3-5 days of your diagnosis, then make sure to consult your healthcare provider immediately. In addition to this, take the flu vaccination once you have fully recovered to protect your developing baby.