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A new study suggests a flu vaccination during
pregnancy may provide long-term benefit to
an unborn child. (©Brian Hoskins)
Pregnant women have long been advised to get a flu shot to prevent serious health complications from influenza. A new study, released March 11, 2010, suggests a flu shot during pregnancy may offer another long-term health benefit to the unborn child -- preventing an increased risk of schizophrenia.
Studying the effects of influenza on brain development
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in collaboration with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill conducted a study on how an influenza A infection during pregnancy affected the brains of rhesus monkey babies. Influenza A is a common cause of seasonal flu, especially during the early winter and early spring months.
The study involved 12 pregnant monkeys that were infected with a mild strain of influenza A virus while in their third trimester and 7 monkeys who remained healthy during their pregnancy. All the babies born to these monkeys appeared healthy at birth, with good birth weights and gestational lengths, as well as normal behavioral and neuromotor activity.
However, brain scans conducted after one year showed distinct differences between the babies from the influenza-infected mothers and those from the healthy monkeys. The babies from the mothers that had the flu were significantly smaller, with reduced areas of gray matter and white matter.
“The brain changes that we found in the monkey babies are similar to what we typically see in MRI scans of humans with schizophrenia,” said John H. Gilmore, M.D., professor of psychiatry in the UNC School of Medicine. “This suggests that human babies whose mothers had the flu while pregnant may have a greater risk of developing schizophrenia later in life than babies whose mothers did not have the flu.”
“This was a relatively mild flu infection, but it had a significant effect on the brains of the babies,” said lead author Sarah J. Short, Ph.D. “While these results aren’t directly applicable to humans, I do think they reinforce the idea, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that pregnant women should get flu shots, before they get sick.”
Getting a flu shot in Indianapolis
Pregnant women and other Indianapolis residents can receive seasonal and pandemic flu shots through the following Indianapolis area pharmacies and clinics:
CVS Minute Clinics
Walgreens Take Care Clinics
Kroger Pharmacies (with Wellness Services)
Marion County Health Department
Related information: Google launches new Flu Shot Finder to help locate local flu vaccination providers.
Comments
Wow! That is major news and so promising.
Very interesting..I hadn't heard that!
Didn't know!
:)
Third culture kids examiner
Seattle stay-at-home moms examiner
great article and something to think about
It's amazing how things change. With my youngest child now 3 I was told not to get the flu shot.
I had no idea there was a link between the two. Interesting information.
Wow- what news!
Chicago Bridal Fashion Scene Examiner
Body Building Examiner
Flu shots scare me at any time. This made it stressful while the H1N1 was being spread so bad. Trouble is I realize it could still affect people.
I had no idea!
Mesa History Examiner
Mesa Abusive Relationships
This is a very interesting article to read especially for pregnant women. Tweeting now.
Important warning!
-Dallas Healthy Trends Examiner
-Dallas Ethnic Foods Examiner
Were there any follow up studies done years later to confirm differences in gray and white brain matter? Children's brains vary in their development of these types of matter, which is a leading reason against testing IQ at an early age. Until I hear that as the monkeys developed the brain differences appeared to be stable, this is just a theory without substantial evidence.
I think there was an important point missing from this test. They had the 12 monkeys that got sick with the flu & the 7 monkeys that were kept healthy during the pregnancy but they didn't say if those 7 monkeys were vaccinated or if they were just kept healthy by not exposing them to the flu. I would have liked to see the results of monkeys that didn't get the flu naturally compared to those that were given the vaccine to make sure there are no adverse affects from the shot. To me, that would make it a complete study. And I agrea with Andrea also that it isn't really substantial evidence until the monkeys have been tested later in life.
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