A pregnant woman in Hai Duong was pregnant with twins and had influenza A so she could not keep the babies.

In recent weeks, the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Bach Mai Hospital has received and treated many pregnant women with influenza. Among them, there are some severe cases, seriously affecting the health of both mother and child.

Patient NTĐ., 35 years old, Hai Duong, was 21 weeks pregnant with twins but due to influenza A infection, complications developed and she could not keep the baby. Specifically, 2 weeks before being hospitalized, the patient had a fever, cough, tested positive for influenza A, self-treated at home and the fever went away. After that, the patient had a high fever again, had continuous pain, uterine contractions and cough. She was admitted to the provincial hospital for emergency treatment and was treated to abort the fetus because she could not keep it.

However, the patient's condition then became critical, the patient was treated to stop the bleeding and transferred to Bach Mai Hospital. At the Institute of Tropical Medicine, where the patient was admitted after triage, the patient was assessed to have septic shock, a 21-week miscarriage of twins and was treated intensively.

It is worth mentioning that the pregnant woman D. had not been vaccinated against the disease, due to subjectivity and lack of understanding about the risk of infection and contracting influenza A.

According to Associate Professor, Dr. Do Duy Cuong, Institute of Tropical Medicine, seasonal flu (flu A/H1N1, A/H3N2, flu B) is an infectious disease caused by the Influenza virus group and often occurs at the time of autumn-winter or winter-spring. The disease progresses benignly, but in children under 5 years old, people over 65 years old, pregnant women, people with underlying diseases, immunodeficiency... serious complications can still occur.

Pregnant women are less likely to avoid infectious diseases, especially influenza, due to the many changes in the body during pregnancy. Hormones and the immune system are weakened compared to normal people, making pregnant women very sensitive to pathogens.

Influenza virus puts the fetus at high risk of birth defects (especially in the first 3 months of pregnancy). Even when high fever is combined with viral toxicity, pregnant women can be stimulated to contract the uterus, causing miscarriage, premature birth, stillbirth, etc. In addition, pregnant women with influenza can also lead to birth defects in the fetus such as congenital heart disease, cleft lip - cleft palate, physical defects, mental disorders due to brain damage, etc. However, not all pregnant women with influenza have a negative impact on the fetus. Taking the right medicine is also very important when pregnant women have influenza.

"Pregnant women should absolutely not take medication on their own. Therefore, to ensure safety, pregnant women need to go to medical facilities for examination immediately when experiencing symptoms such as fever, cough, sneezing, stuffy nose, headache. In particular, flu vaccines are safe for pregnant women. Expectant mothers should proactively get vaccinated against flu before becoming pregnant or during pregnancy, they can still get vaccinated against flu without affecting the fetus," Associate Professor, Dr. Do Duy Cuong emphasized.

Doctors also recommend that flu is on the rise in the community, pregnant women should limit contact with crowded places and wear masks when leaving the house. Eat a nutritious diet, supplement vitamins and minerals according to the doctor's advice. Keep your body and house clean, ventilate your living space, and keep your body warm when it's cold. Maintain reasonable exercise and a regular lifestyle and diet to ensure increased resistance.