Here’s another compelling reason to get your flu shot: new research shows that contracting influenza infection during pregnancy may increase the risk of seizures in your child.
During pregnancy, the immune system is weaker, making the mother more vulnerable to infections. These infections can pass through the placenta and harm the baby, leading to serious issues like stillbirth, birth- defects, premature birth, or health problems in the newborn, such as respiratory issues, brain damage, and poor growth.
The latest study published in Jama Network examined how a mother’s influenza infection during pregnancy affected the risk of her child developing different types of seizures during childhood.
A seizure is a sudden surge of uncontrolled electrical activity in the brain, causing temporary changes in muscle movements, behavior, sensations, or awareness.
The researchers specifically looked at 1,316,107 mother-offspring pairs and examined the risk for epilepsy and febrile (fever-related) seizures. Among the 75835 offspring whose mothers had influenza infection during pregnancy, 3.2% developed seizures during their follow-up period.
After accounting for factors that could influence the results, the researchers found that there was a 9% increased risk for all types of seizures in children whose mothers had influenza during pregnancy compared to those who did not. The risk of febrile convulsions was slightly higher at 11%, while for epilepsy, there was a non-significant 4% increase in risk.
The study also noted a slightly higher prevalence of placenta previa or abruption in the influenza group compared to the control group (1.6% vs. 1.4%).
“Results of this cohort study suggest that maternal influenza infection during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of childhood seizures, especially febrile seizures, but not epilepsy. Further studies are needed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying childhood neurological development,” the researchers wrote.
Earlier studies have shown that getting vaccinated against the flu during pregnancy not only safeguards the mother from infection during and after pregnancy but also protects the baby in the early months of life. A study from 2013 showed that vaccination reduced the risk of flu in pregnant people by up to 50% during the 2010–2012 flu seasons. Another study in 2018 found that flu vaccination lowered the risk of hospitalization due to flu by 40% in pregnant people. It also helps shield newborns from flu-related illnesses and hospitalizations when they are too young to be vaccinated.