H1N1 and Newborns

Ruby de Luna
11/18/2009

Seattle–area hospitals are taking extra steps these days to prevent the spread of the H1N1 virus. They're following recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control. But sometimes, those guidelines differ from what other health organizations are saying. What's a hospital to do?

If a pregnant woman comes in for delivery and has a fever, and flu like symptoms, the CDC recommends that mother and newborn be temporarily separated. On its Website, the CDC says the mother should be in a separate room until she is treated with anti–virals and is without fever for 24 hours. Seattle's Swedish Medical Center initially adopted those guidelines. But later it decided to follow other recommendations by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Pauk: "Both breastfeeding and close contact are very important for the newborn to do well. So we're not totally physically separating out the newborn from the mother."

John Pauk is Swedish's medical director for infection control.

Pauk: "But we are recommending that some basic precautions take place. That before the mother were to handle the infant, that she do careful hand hygiene, wear a face mask to reduce exposure to the infant. In addition, prior to breast feeding we would have her wash her breast with mild soap and water prior to nursing."

Other Seattle–area hospitals are taking similar precautions. Dr. Jim Taylor is medical director of the newborn nursery at the University of Washington Medical Center. He says they too have adopted AAP guidelines. But they also consider the individual patient. Taylor says so far they haven't had a case where a woman was highly contagious with the virus, and had to be isolated.

Taylor: "When that arises, if that arises, we're really going to have to sort of have to look at the particulars of that situation and advise based on the best information that we have at the time. And I think that is probably better than having some ironclad, this is the policy, this is the way we've got to do it."

One thing is certain, most hospitals have restricted visitors, especially people who are ill with flu–like symptoms. Doctors say expectant parents should learn more about their hospital's policy. It's also helpful to make contingency plans, in case the father or other key family members get sick, so that the mother can get the help she needs.

Ruby de Luna, KUOW News.

© Copyright 2009, KUOW