Pregnant women 13 per cent more likely to suffer critical illness with swine flu

Pregnant women catching swine flu are more likely to suffer critical illness as a result.

A medical study published in the British Medical Journal, found that women are 13 times more likely to become seriously ill, with 11 per cent dying and 12 per cent of babies dying.

The research took place in Australia and New Zealand during the winter months of 2009.

Results found that women who were more than 20 weeks pregnant were more likely to be admitted to the intensive care unit than non-pregnant women with the illness.

Nearly 70 per cent of the pregnant women admitted to hospital needed to be put on ventilators to help them with their breathing and a further 14.1 per cent needed help getting oxygen to reach their heart and lungs.

The authors emphasised that none of these women had been immunised against season flu, despite recommendations that they all pregnant women should have this done.