Heather Warlick-Moore, Domestic Diva
Flu shots can help mother and baby
By Heather Warlick-Moore
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Published: October 19, 2009
For pregnant women, deciding whether to get a flu shot and the H1N1 shot is tough. I am pregnant and a bit hesitant. It seems you can’t watch a newscast or read an article about the H1N1 flu, also called swine flu, without reference to the elevated risk to pregnant women.
Getting a pregnant woman to take a shot is a tough sell.
I’ve had doubts about getting the vaccines. I’m healthy and have never had a flu shot in the past. I did get the flu two years ago, but that was the only time.
I’ve heard the statistics. Since April, at least 100 pregnant women have been hospitalized with H1N1 flu, and 28 have died.
According to the
American Pregnancy Association, there are about 6 million pregnancies each year in the
United States, resulting in more than 4 million live births.
Those numbers make the number of H1N1 hospitalizations seems minute.
But, the more research I have done, the more I tend to agree that the shots are a good idea.
One worry I have about the vaccines concerns thimerosal, a preservative that some activists link (without proof) to a high rate of autism. With new statistics stating that one in 100 children could develop autism, I can’t help but be wary. But, you can request a seasonal or H1N1 flu shot without thimerosal.
Research indicates that not only can the flu vaccines protect you, they can protect your baby. According to
Babycenter.com, anti-flu antibodies that you develop after getting the shot are passed to your baby, providing her with immunity that may be protective until she’s 5 or 6 months old.
"This is important because young babies who catch the flu are at particular risk for serious illness, but they can’t be vaccinated themselves until they’re 6 months old,” the site states. And by getting vaccinated, you lessen the chances of spreading the flu to others, doing your part in stopping the worldwide spread.
If you are sick and have a fever or have ever had a rare condition called Guillain-Barre, talk to your doctor before getting vaccinated.
Related Topics:
Culture and Lifestyle,
Health and Fitness,
Medicine,
Contagious and Infectious Diseases,
Pregnancy and Childbirth,
Vaccines,
Medical Treatments and Procedures,
Child Development,
Family,
Parenting,
Influenza,
Infant Development,
Learning and Developmental Disorders,
Swine Flu,
Autism Spectrum Disorders
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