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Nov 4, 2009 10:57 pm US/Central
Pregnant Moms Exposed To Flu Face Tough Decisions
(WCCO)
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Since the flu arrived in Minnesota last spring, at least 15 Minnesotans have died. That is why mothers expecting babies like Lindsay DiLorenzo are pushed to their limits when their other kids get the flu. (File)
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The deadly H1N1 flu seems to be loosening its grip on kids at Minnesota schools, but high-risk patients like pregnant moms and people with health problems can't seem to catch a break.
Since the flu arrived in Minnesota last spring, at least 15 Minnesotans have died. That is why mothers expecting babies like Lindsay DiLorenzo are pushed to their limits when their other kids get the flu. On Saturday, her 5-year-old daughter, Mia, started to get sick.
"The hardest thing has been the unexpected stress. I was all set up to have this baby up until the weekend," she said. "All of the sudden I've had to completely change my mindset of not having this baby and making sure our family is completely healthy before that happens."
This is Lindsay's third pregnancy, but it could be her hardest. Doctors told her to stay away from Mia. For the first two days, her husband took off work. Now, the grandparents have cancelled their trip out West.
"The pediatrician did say I'm supposed to stay away from her which is nearly impossible to do when you have a daughter you need to take care of, especially when she's sick," she said.
She is nine months pregnant and could deliver at any time. Her doctor told her to take it easy because he wants to baby wait. He's safer inside the womb until the illness passes through their home.
As soon as Mia started getting sick, the doctor suggested Lindsay start some doses of Tamiflu.
"It made me very uncomfortable as I don't like to take medication when I'm pregnant," she said.
Park Nicollet OB/GYN Dr. Jan Strathy acknowledges this is a tough decision. She's heard stories like Linsday's a lot these past few weeks. However, she recommends both the seasonal and H1N1 flu shots for her pregnant patients. She also suggests starting Tamiflu if a pregnant woman is exposed to the virus.
"The moms are being very careful and they want to make intelligent decisions about their health, their pregnancy and the health of their baby," she said. "What they need to understand is the H1N1 flu appears to be a very severe flu when pregnant women get real sick and so there's actually a greater risk of that than there is risk of any medication or vaccination."
Dr. Strathy said pregnant women are more likely to get H1N1 because their immune systems are down. If pregnant women do get sick, they are likely to have more problems because the baby growing inside them makes it tougher to clear out their lungs.
After four doctors' opinions and discussion with her pregnant friends, Lindsay decided to take the Tamiflu. After three days, she's now at peace with the decision.
"Safety is the utmost concern," she said. "I want my kids to be healthy. I want to be healthy for the baby. I want my husband to be healthy so he can be in the delivery room with me."
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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