Why pregnant women are more at risk?
In pregnancy, the immune system is naturally suppressed. This means that pregnant women are more likely to catch swine flu, and if they do catch it, they are more likely to develop complications.

Don’t panic: your immune system still functions and the risk of complications is very small. Most pregnant women will only have mild symptoms.

Symptoms and risks
If you are pregnant and you catch swine flu, the symptoms should be similar to those of regular flu. You will typically have a fever or high temperature (over 38°C/100.4°F) and two or more of the following:
- unusual tiredness
- headache
- runny nose
- sore throat
- shortness of breath or cough
- loss of appetite
- aching muscles
- diarrhoea or vomiting

Most pregnant women will have only mild symptoms and recover within a week. However, there is evidence from previous flu pandemics that pregnant women are more likely to develop complications.

Possible complications are:
- pneumonia (an infection of the lungs)
- difficulty breathing, and
- dehydration

In pregnant women, these are more likely to happen in the second and third trimester.

If a pregnant woman develops a complication of swine flu, such as pneumonia, there is a small chance this will lead to premature labour or miscarriage. There is not yet enough information to know precisely how likely these birth risks are.

It is therefore important to be well prepared and to take precautions against swine flu.

Special precautions
If you are pregnant, you can reduce your risk of infection by avoiding unnecessary travel and avoiding crowds where possible.
Good hygiene is essential.
If a family member or other close contact has swine flu, your doctor may prescribe you antiviral medication as a prophylactic (preventative) measure.
If you think that you may have swine flu, call your doctor for an assessment immediately.

Unless you have swine flu symptoms, carry on attending your antenatal appointments to monitor the progress of your pregnancy.

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