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The importance of the influenza vaccine is emphasized to pregnant women because of the severe impact of influenza on mother and infant/fetus, U.S. health officials say.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report says during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic from April 15, 2009, to Aug. 10, 2010, the CDC received reports of 278 pregnant/post-partum women who were admitted to the intensive care unit and survived.
Eighty-four of the pregnant/post-partum women died, UPI.com reported.
"Infants born during their mother's hospitalization for severe influenza illness were more likely to be born preterm and of lower birth weight than the general population, and infants born after their mothers had been discharged were more likely to be small for gestational age and of lower birth weight," the report says.
"Consistent with earlier reports, pregnant women receiving prompt treatment with recommended anti-viral medications were less likely to die than those treated later."
They found no link between risk of death from severe flu illness and race, trimester of illness onset, or age.
For the last two years the CDC says it has collaborated closely with state and local health authorities to carry out enhanced surveillance for severe flu among women who are pregnant, as well as those who have recently given birth.
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