I know what you are thinking: more swine flu news? On the pregnancy blog? Unfortunately, the swine flu has hit pregnant women especially hard. In fact, pregnant women will likely be given priority when the swine flu vaccinations are distributed in the fall. According to a recent AP wire, “pregnant women account for 6 percent of U.S. swine flu deaths since the pandemic began in April, even though they make up just 1 percent of the U.S. population.” Pregnant women are more susceptible to severe illness, according to World Health Organization experts, and could suffer spontaneous abortion and/or death, especially during the second and third trimesters. Some have even suggested delaying pregnancy due to the health risks. Okay, now I’m scared! I did a little more research, however, and found that out of the 1 million Americans infected with swine flu, there have only been about 300 deaths. To put this in perspective, 36,000 people died of flu-related causes each year in the United States in the 1990s, according to the CDC. In other words, deaths from swine flu have not even come close to those of seasonal flu.
How to Prevent the Flu (Swine or any other variety):
Discuss with your health care provider whether a flu shot is necessary or beneficial to you.
Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly. My pediatrician actually recommends hand sanitizer over hand washing when it comes to killing germs.
Keep your hands away from your face. Otherwise you’re giving germs a free ride directly to your nose and eyes, which is the equivalent of pouring ants into your picnic basket.
Don’t smoke. Your nose contains protective cilia which sweep away viruses before they get a chance to enter your system. Smoking paralyzes the cilia, making you more susceptible to illness. (Plus, if you are pregnant, you should not be smoking anyway.)
Use tissues.
To avoid compromising your immune system: reduce stress, get plenty of sleep, and reduce alcohol consumption. Again, these are all good practices for a pregnant woman regardless of whether she is trying to avoid a certain illness.