Among the dangers of swine flu, one that has gone under reported is its effect on pregnant women. Not just in terms of it being extra dangerous for those in such a fragile state, but there is a secondary effect to being born during a pandemic that has been reported in the Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease. Namely, pandemic babies are more likely to have more health problems, perform worse on academic tasks and have higher rates of physical disability and heart attacks than those born either before or after the flu outbreak. Studies of children born between 1914 and 1923 have found that the 1918-1919 generation of Spanish Flu children were significantly less healthy.
No one’s really sure exactly why this is. Researchers believe that it might have something to do with the increased stress having the flu puts on the already stressed body of the mother during the crucial prenatal months. After all, the baby’s growth takes a lot of energy from the mother, and makes breathing more difficult. None of those things go together well with any kind of respiratory ailment.
As always, the best advice for pregnant men and women out there is to see your doctor early and often during pregnancy. If you’re sick, see the sawbones immediately. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
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