Dealing With Medical Emergencies and Conditions

Dealing With Medical Emergencies and Conditions

What You Need to Know About Immunisation Before and During Pregnancy

by Vernon Foster

Immunisation is an extremely important part of antenatal care. You should be vaccinated against rubella and chickenpox before pregnancy and you should be immunised against the flu and whooping cough when you are pregnant.

Rubella

Many people are vaccinated against rubella when they are young. If you have not had the rubella vaccination, it is recommended that you are immunised before pregnancy. This is because if you are infected with rubella during pregnancy, your baby could suffer from severe health problems. If you did receive the rubella vaccination, you may require a booster injection before pregnancy. You can check this with your doctor.

Chickenpox

If you have not had chickenpox in the past, you should be vaccinated before pregnancy. This is because being infected with chickenpox as an adult is more serious than if you are infected when you are a child. Additionally, if you are infected during the early part of your pregnancy, your baby could suffer from birth defects. If you are infected close to your due date, your baby could suffer from a serious infection. A blood test can determine if you have immunity against chickenpox.

Flu

If you have the flu when you are pregnant, your risk of complications is increased. One complication that has been linked to flu is bronchitis which can lead to pneumonia. Additionally, flu during pregnancy can also cause conditions such as meningitis, septic shock and inflammation of the brain. If you are infected with flu during pregnancy, the results could be fatal for your baby. Immunisation against the flu during pregnancy protects you and your baby. This is because when you are vaccinated, your antibodies transmit to your baby, and this immunises your baby until they are old enough to receive the vaccine themselves.

Whooping cough

Whooping cough can cause severe problems for your baby, and it can be fatal. If you are vaccinated during pregnancy, your baby will be protected against whooping cough until they can be vaccinated themselves. Anyone who may come into contact with your baby should also be immunised before the baby is born.

Pneumococcal disease

If you smoke, have diabetes or a long-term heart, lung or kidney disease, pneumococcal immunisation is recommended. Pneumococcal disease can cause serious complications, such as meningitis, pneumonia and septicaemia.

Travel vaccinations

If you are travelling, there may be some vaccinations that are not recommended for pregnant women. You should check this before travelling.


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About Me

Dealing With Medical Emergencies and Conditions

Hello, my name is Peter and I live in Western Australia with my wife on our pet dogs. This is my blog which details how to deal with various medical emergencies and other conditions. Last year, several friends and members of my family suffered from various different kinds of medical problems. Some of them, such as my uncle had to be rushed to the hospital for immediate treatment that saved his life. Lots of my friends had minor problems which had a big impact on the quality of their lives. I take an active interest in first-aid and other medical matters so I decided to start this blog.

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