Although the H1N1 flu shot (more commonly known as swine flu) was linked to a slight risk of developing Guillain-Barré syndrome, Danish researchers found that the vaccine is safe for pregnant mothers and their unborn babies.
According to MSNBC, found that two doses per every 1 million may cause this rare nerve disorder. But in a separate study, to be released in the upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association along with the Guillain-Barré research, scientists claim that getting the swine flu vaccine while pregnant does not directly relate to a higher incidence of birth defects or pre-term births as previously believed. Because swine flu disproportionately affects pregnant women and can cause severe complications including death, this may be good news for moms-to-be.
I clearly remember the swine flu outbreak of 2009, when every media outlet filled the airwaves and TV screens with frightening facts and figures about the pandemic. Understandably, most moms-to-be do whatever it takes to keep their unborn baby safe. This might mean eating healthy and getting plenty of rest or avoiding potentially harmful substances. With all the mostly false and negative publicity that vaccines have received in recent times, it's clear that getting a flu shot while pregnant is a somewhat scary proposition. After all, why would you do something that might put your baby in danger of suffering long-term ill effects?
The Danish study of 53,432 infants can help to put some of the fears surrounding the H1N1 flu shot to rest. Slightly more than 13 percent of the infants in the study were reportedly exposed to the swine flu vaccine while in-utero. Study researcher Anders Hviid reported on the topic of vaccine related birth defects and pre-term births saying, "We conclude that H1N1-vaccinated pregnancies are not at increased risk of these adverse effects".
While the study authors can't completely rule out all adverse effects that the vaccine could potentially cause, this new information can help expectant moms to make a more informed decision.
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Photo Courtesy of Morguefile