Premature Birth Injury Risk Lower With Flu Vaccine During Pregnancy

As discussed in our prior post titled “Premature Birth Injury Topic Of New York Cerebral Palsy Conferences In Syracuse, Binghamton and Watertown,” premature birth is a potentially dangerous pregnancy complication. “Babies born early at are risk for lifelong disabilities like respiratory distress syndrome, persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn and cerebral palsy,” said New York birth injury lawyer Michael A. Bottar, Esq.

According to a recent study published in PLoS Medicine, pregnant women who receive the flu vaccine during pregnancy may be as much as 40% less likely to have a premature birth. Pregnant flu vaccine recipients were also as much as 70% less likely to deliver a low birth weight or “small for gestational age” baby. The results were associated with deliveries during peak flu season.

Researchers suggest that the flu vaccine may prevent respiratory infections during pregnancy — infections which can lead to delivering a small baby, or a preterm baby. Pregnant women are particularly susceptible to the influenza, which can lead to serious injury and death. Generally, this is because a woman’s lung capacity decreases toward the end of pregnancy. In turn, the heart must work harder to circulate oxygenated blood to support the fetus. This extra effort drains a pregnant mother’s body and can make it more difficult for her immune system to fight off the flu.

Other pregnancy, labor and delivery complications include pregnancy-related obesity, which is associated with cesarean delivery, preeclampsia, macrosomia, shoulder dystocia and Erb’s palsy, as well as gestational diabetes and, while rare, pregnancy-related death (typically from post-partum hemorrhaging).

Many birth injuries are preventable. If your child is disabled following a premature birth, or if you or a loved one have experienced a pregnancy complication, you, your child and/or your family may be entitled to compensation. To speak with a Syracuse medical malpractice attorney, contact us at (833) 268-8277 or by email at info@bottarleone.com.