Flu shots ensure birth of healthy babies

Washington, Feb 22 (IANS) Immunising pregnant women against flu virus seems to ensure the birth of healthy and normal weight babies, says a new study.

The study, a randomized controlled trial involving 340 healthy pregnant women in Bangladesh in the third trimester, looked at the effect of immunization on babies born to vaccinated mothers.

It was part of the Mother's gift project looking at the safety and efficacy of pneumococcal and influenza vaccines in pregnant Bangladesh women, the Canadian Medical Association Journal reports.

"We found that immunization against influenza during pregnancy had a substantial effect on mean birth weight and the proportion of infants who were small for gestational age," writes Mark Steinhoff, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Centre, with coauthors.

"Our data suggest that the prevention of infection with seasonal influenza in pregnant women by vaccination can influence fetal growth," state the authors, according to a Cincinnati statement.

The women were divided into two groups, one with 170 women who received flu shots and the second who received the pneumococcal vaccine as a control.

Researchers compared the weight of babies born in two periods, one in which there was circulation of an flu virus and one with limited circulation. Babies small for their gestational age are at higher risk of health and other issues over their lives.

During the period with circulating flu virus, the mean birth weight was 3178 grams in the flu vaccine group and seven percent higher than 2978 gram in the control group. The rate of premature births was lower in the influenza vaccine group as well.