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Moms who catch flu during pregnancy twice likely to give birth to babies with heart defects

Babies born to infected mothers are more than twice more likely to have abnormalities such as cleft lip, heart malformations, or spina bifida, according to Hungarian experts.

The team examined 10,000 pieces of study and almost 100,000 births and discovered that catching the flu during the first trimester increased the risk to an unborn infant fourfold in some circumstances.

Risks of Babies Having Birth Defects

Neural tube problems, such as spina bifida and associated developing brain diseases, cleft lip and palate, and congenital heart defects were the most prevalent non-chromosomal congenital malformations.

Researchers at Semmelweis University in Budapest, Hungary, conducted the study, which is the first to focus solely on complications of first-trimester influenza.

A total of 85,855 births for women aged 20 to 45 were studied. The findings demonstrate that catching the flu in the first trimester increases the total risk of “congenital abnormalities” by 50% (1.5 times) on average when compared to a healthy pregnancy.

The likelihood of acquiring cleft lip and palate increases by a similar amount, 2.48 times on average. These youngsters frequently have feeding issues and may develop hearing loss and communication challenges.

The third major group is congenital cardiac abnormalities, which can increase by 63% on average (1.63 times). Due to first-trimester maternal influenza infection, the risk of developing aortic coarctation (aortic constriction) can increase up to fourfold.

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Increased Risk of Eye Issues

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Babies born to infected mothers are more than twice more likely to have abnormalities such as cleft lip, heart malformations, or spina bifida, according to Hungarian experts.

Some of the studies that were reviewed also found an increased risk of limb development and eye anomalies.

“Pregnancy complications caused by viral infections have been the focus of attention in recent years due to Covid-19, and there are growing concerns we might face similar pandemics in the future,” said Dr. kos Mátrai, Assistant Lecturer at Semmelweis University’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

The scientists compared data from 14 particular scientific papers published between 1964 and November 2022 to draw conclusions from over 10,000 research papers. The new discoveries have been published in the journal Viruses.

Prior research has shown that it is the fever, not the influenza virus, that can cause difficulties. As a result, lowering the temperature of pregnant women who become unwell is critical.

Professional Guidance

It is also widely reported that folic acid and vitamins can aid in the prevention of congenital abnormalities. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States, 39 to 51 million people worldwide catch influenza A, B, or C each year, primarily between December and March.

The virus has a 48-hour incubation period and normally recovers in three to seven days. Individuals may acquire a secondary bacterial infection as a result. This can potentially cause difficulties for pregnant women.

Between 1980 and 2009, about 90,000 births in Hungary were recorded in the database. The researchers are attempting to determine the extent to which first-trimester flu can cause congenital impairments. So far, their findings support the findings of the present worldwide meta-analysis.

Read more: Breast milk promotes brain development in premature babies

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