Just by being pregnant, you are at a higher risk of catching the winter bug. That's because your immunity (which fights infection) is under greater pressure when pregnant, according to Dr Peter Vincent, a GP based at the Medicross Tokai Family Medical and Dental Centre in Cape Town. And what's the big deal with flu? Dr Vincent says it is possible for very severe cases of flu to harm your unborn baby. “It can cause intrauterine growth retardation, depending on the stage of pregnancy. This can occur if it's early on in the pregnancy.
Later in the pregnancy, it's less likely to cause a problem.”
However, Dr Vincent says not to panic.
It's rare for ordinary flu to cause any serious problems. But, as the
