H1N1 Swine Flu risks... discussion
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Topic: H1N1 Swine Flu risks... discussion
Posted By: Holstarr
Subject: H1N1 Swine Flu risks... discussion
Date Posted: 12 June 2009 at 2:14pm
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I pulled this information from the UK NHS regarding the swine flu whic h is upgrading to pandemic.. Currently NZ is ranked 30th for confirmed cases. Australia is ranked 5th. I wanted to know if the risks (being pregnant myself) were greater, and from what I gathered, even though there are reasonably low cases of pregnant women with H1N1, our bodies are more susceptible to respiratory issues related to the flu in general. Heres the Q&A I found:-
Does swine flu pose special risks in pregnant women? During pregnancy, you may have an increased risk of complications from any type of flu, especially in the second and third trimester. Can I take antiviral drugs if I am pregnant? Yes, on the advice of a doctor. The Department of Health has purchased Relenza, an inhaled antiviral drug that treats flu without reaching the developing fetus. An expert group reviewed the risk of antiviral treatment in pregnancy, which is extremely small - much smaller than the risk posed by the symptoms of swine flu. Will pregnant women get preference for a swine flu vaccine? It will be months before a swine flu vaccine becomes available. When it is available, there will be guidelines on which groups of people are a greater priority for vaccination. See vaccine information above. Should I stop breastfeeding if I need to take antiviral drugs? Women who are breastfeeding should continue to do so while receiving antiviral treatment, as this is not contraindicated. If a mother is ill, she should continue breastfeeding and increase feeding frequency. If she becomes too ill to feed, then expressing milk may still be possible. Antiviral drugs are excreted into breast milk in very small (insignificant) amounts. Can children take antivirals? Yes, on the advice of a doctor. Tamiflu is safe for infants aged one and older, at a reduced dose. Relenza (an inhaler) can be used by children aged five and older under the supervision of an adult. Can babies under the age of one take antivirals? Tamiflu and Relenza are not licensed for use in babies under the age of one. However, Tamiflu may be used under the supervision of a doctor if your baby is ill. Instruct parent and caretakers on how to protect their infant from the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses like novel influenza A (H1N1): *Wash adults’ and infants’ hands frequently with soap and water, especially after infants place their hands in their mouths. *Keep infants and mothers as close together as possible and encourage early and frequent skin-to-skin contact between mothers and their infants. *Limit sharing of toys and other items that have been in infants' mouths. Wash thoroughly with soap and water any items that have been in infants' mouths. *Keep pacifiers (including the pacifier ring/handle) and other items out of adults' or other infants' mouths prior to giving to the infant. *Practice cough and sneeze etiquette. I hope this helps ease concerns to pregnant women, and remember... always call your health practioner before presenting yourself if you think you have contracted the flu. This includes Pharmacies, your doctor and hospitals. 
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Replies:
Posted By: LJsmum
Date Posted: 13 June 2009 at 11:46am
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Thanks for that was wondering about the effects on the baby and me.
So much hype about swine flu in the media. -------------  
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Posted By: busymum
Date Posted: 13 June 2009 at 11:51am
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Ta. Does anyone know what the symptoms are compared to usual flu, ie when do you need to go see a dr instead of just moping around cause you think you have common bugs? -------------  |
Posted By: Mum2ET
Date Posted: 13 June 2009 at 12:30pm
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I was wondering about that too busymum, as from what I have read most of the symptoms seem to the same. ------------- Mum to Ella (5) and Tom (2) |
Posted By: mylilmosaic
Date Posted: 13 June 2009 at 2:38pm
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I read this on the tvnz website, about halfway down it tells us what are the symptoms:
http://tvnz.co.nz/health-news/h1n1-swine-flu-you-need-know-2781635 - Link Hope that helps ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: FionaO
Date Posted: 13 June 2009 at 5:43pm
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The symptoms for me are still really generic, I guess if you had them all you might wonder.
I am really querying all of this, is it not just another strain of flu - i'm not saying flu isn't horrid I had real full blown flu once and was bed ridden for at least 2 weeks to get over it, but its flu season here, so many people with colds and so on. People coughing and sneezing everywhere, is it not possible that some people could have had it, not felt that bad with it and never known what it was I feel like i'm missing something. I'm not sure what the media want either so much news on it, are we supposed to be feeling scared, or simply raising awareness What does everyone else think? ------------- 
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Posted By: Bizzy
Date Posted: 13 June 2009 at 6:55pm
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my husband says that the biggest risk is economic. it could wipe out whole workplaces and effect our already sad economy...
my boy usually gets flu over winter and i am not overly worried. people die from all types of flu, or rather the potential side effects, all the time all over the world. ------------- http://www.myfitnesspal.com/weight-loss-ticker"> 
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Posted By: scribe
Date Posted: 13 June 2009 at 8:26pm
Mmm I was wondering that too. The TVNZ article suggests that although the symptoms are the same, the difference between 'normal' flu and swine flu is that we don't have any immunity to swine flu. As nasty as having the flu is, I kind of want to get swine flu (not being pregnant of course) - as it has recently transferred back to pigs again, so if it goes from pigs back to humans again and so on it can become more virulent - that's when we're really in trouble. So I'd kind of like some antibodies in my system in case it comes back bigger and better! |
FionaO wrote:Posted By: Holstarr
Date Posted: 16 June 2009 at 1:46pm
| http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=10578766 - New Zealand Herald article of Pregnancy and Swine Flu risks |
Posted By: busymum
Date Posted: 18 June 2009 at 8:41pm
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I really can't be bothered with all the hype TBH. New flus go around every year and if you're a parent, you'd be pretty lucky to miss out on at least one batch of sickness. There's not anything different one can do to avoid it anyway (general hygiene and avoiding sick people is already normal). ------------- |
Posted By: kellie
Date Posted: 19 June 2009 at 8:27pm
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It really is just a mild version of the common flu. Not worth getting all worried about. The media just likes to hype things up.
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Posted By: LENCHOUS
Date Posted: 24 June 2009 at 1:28pm
| I am 31 weeks pregnat and i had the h1n1 (swine) confirmed. i was on relenza than another antibiotic in case i develop a secondary bacteria |
Posted By: peanut butter
Date Posted: 24 June 2009 at 3:36pm
thats kinda cool (can you tell I dont get out much). 
i think the main prob with this one is the sheer number of people who will get the flu this year as opposed to other years. The doc did say it is more virulent but I would really like to see how it stacks up to other "common" illnesses like measles, bronchiolitis etc that babies can die from. We need some perspective....are you more likely to win big wednesday
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