Infect Chemother.  2011 Feb;43(1):55-59. 10.3947/ic.2011.43.1.55.

Pandemic Influenza (H1N1 2009) among Pregnant Korean Women

• Kim BN
• Kwak YG
• Moon CS
• Kim YS
• Kim ES
• Lee KS
• Lee CS
• Hur JA

• KMID: 2170334
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3947/ic.2011.43.1.55

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Pregnant women are at an increased risk for severe illness and complications associated with pandemic (H1N1) 2009. This study was conducted to identify the severity of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 in pregnant Korean women.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The demographic and clinical data from pregnant women with laboratory confirmed pandemic (H1N1) 2009 during September to December 2009 were retrospectively collected from 8 hospitals in Korea.
RESULTS
A total of 150 pregnant women with pandemic (H1N1) 2009 were identified. The median age was 30 years (range: 22-39 years), and the median gestational age (n=114) was 20 weeks (range: 1-39 weeks). All but one patient with secondary bacterial pneumonia had influenza without complication. Although 12 pregnant women needed hospitalization, there were no patients who needed admission to the intensive care unit or who died. Only one hospitalized patient had elective cesarean section because of oligohydamnios. No maternal or fetal complications directly related to the pandemic (H1N1) 2009 were identified among the 67 pregnant women who were followed up for 1 to 185 days after their influenza illness, including 6 women who delivered during the study period.
CONCLUSIONS
In contrast with the reports from Western countries, pandemic (H1N1) 2009 among pregnant Korean women was mild.

Keyword

Influenza; Influenza A(H1N1); Pandemic; Pregnancy

MeSH Terms

Cesarean Section
Female
Gestational Age
Hospitalization
Humans
Influenza, Human
Intensive Care Units
Pandemics
Pneumonia, Bacterial
Pregnancy
Pregnant Women
Retrospective Studies

Figure

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  Figure 1 (A) Monthly number of women of child bearing age who visited the flu clinic and (B) the number of pregnant women who had confirmed pandemic (H1N1) 2009 in 8 Korean hospitals from September to December 2009.

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