Flu shot reduces the risk of hospitalization by 40% in pregnant women

Pregnant women who receive influenza vaccine during pregnancy are at 40% reduced risk of flu hospitalization as compared to women who are not vaccinated during pregnancy reports the results of a Center for Disease Control (CDC) co-authored study published online October 11, 2018, in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.

“Expecting mothers face a number of threats to their health and the health of their baby during pregnancy, and getting the flu is one of them,” explains Allison Naleway, Ph.D., a study co-author from the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research. “This study’s findings underscore the fact that there is a simple, yet impactful way to reduce the possibility of complications from flu during pregnancy: get a flu shot.

In this retrospective cohort study, the researchers gathered data from more than 2 million pregnancies for 6 years (2010-2016), across cross 5 regions in 4 countries through the Pregnancy Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness Network (PREVENT), which consists of healthcare systems with integrated laboratory, medical, and vaccination records. Nearly 85% of pregnancies were ongoing during the flu season making it highly likely that pregnant women were exposed to flu at some point during their pregnancy.

Key study findings include:

With nearly 84% pregnancies overlapping the influenza season, the risk of influenza virus infection is a real threat during pregnancy.

Influenza vaccine reduced the risk of moderate to severe laboratory-confirmed influenza (LCI) infection during pregnancy.

Flu vaccine was equally protective in women with other medical co-morbidities like asthma and diabetes, which puts them at higher risk of other medical complications.

Flu vaccine offers equal protection during all the three trimesters.

“Our study found that flu vaccination worked equally well for women in any trimester and even reduced the risk of being sick with influenza during delivery,” adds Mark Thompson, Ph.D., a study co-author and epidemiologist with CDC’s Influenza Division.

In addition to protecting the mothers from flu while being pregnant, influenza vaccine offers protection to the newborn for several months after birth, till they are old enough to get vaccinated.

CDC press release

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The American Heart Association updates BP guidelines in 14 years: now 130 is the new 140

The American Heart Association (AHA)  and The American College of Cardiology (ACC) has changed the definition of hypertension for the first time in 14 years, moving the number from the old standard of 140/90 to the newly revised 130/80.

According to the new definition, 130 to 139 mm Hg systolic and or 80 to 89 mm Hg will be labelled as stage 1 hypertension.

https://obgynupdated.blogspot.com/2017/11/the-american-heart-association-updates.html

WHO updates its guidance on Tranexamic Acid for the Treatment of Postpartum Hemorrhage

WHO has recently updated their guidelines for use of Tranexamic acid for treatment of Postpartum Hemorrhage: TXA should now be included in the treatment regimen for PPH along with other drugs, irrespective of the cause of hemorrhage.  

In 2012, WHO recommended Use of TXA  for the treatment of PPH if oxytocin and other uterotonics fail to stop the bleeding or if it is thought that the bleeding may be partly due to trauma.

https://obgynupdated.blogspot.com/2017/11/who-updates-its-guidance-on-tranexamic.html

ACOG recommends against vaginal seeding in Cesarean births

ACOG today issued a policy statement against the practice of vaginal seeding in cesarean deliveries, in absence of sufficient data on potential benefits associated with the procedure.

The new policy statement published in the November issue of Journal Obstetrics and Gynecology. Earlier Danish Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology has already issued a similar statement at the national meeting on 19 January 2017.

https://obgynupdated.blogspot.com/2017/11/acog-recommends-against-vaginal-seeding.html

Just wait a minute, and you save thousands of preterm babies a year

November 17 is celebrated as World Prematurity Day and theme for this year is ‘let them thrive.’

According to WHO An estimated 15 million babies are born preterm every year – more than 1 in 10 babies around the world and this number is rising. Preterm birth complications are the leading cause of death for children under 5.

https://obgynupdated.blogspot.com/2017/11/just-wait-minute-and-you-save-thousands.html

ACOG updates the practice advisory for influenza vaccination during pregnancy

The American congress of obstetrics and gynecologists(ACOG) has issued a recent practice advisory for influenza vaccination during pregnancy.

A recent case -control study published in September issue of journal Vaccines linked spontaneous abortion and receipt of influenza vaccine in first trimester of pregnancy. In this case control study women had nearly twice the odds of experiencing a miscarriage if they were vaccinated in the preceding 28 days period. (OR 2.0; 95% CI 1.1–3.6)

https://obgynupdated.blogspot.com/2017/11/acog-updates-practice-advisory-for.html