Baby News

New data show rise in hospital admissions for unvaccinated pregnant women

The Chief Midwifery Officer for England will urge expectant mums to have their COVID-19 vaccination as soon as possible. This follows a worrying rise in unvaccinated women being admitted to hospital with severe COVID-19, and evidence that the Delta variant poses a significantly greater risk than all previous strains.

COVID-19 poses significant risks to both mother and baby. Pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to becoming severely ill from COVID-19, and around one in ten pregnant women admitted to hospital with symptoms of COVID-19 require intensive care. One in five pregnant women admitted to hospital with symptoms of COVID-19 gives birth prematurely. New data from the UK Obstetric Surveillance System (UKOSS), published on medRxiv, show that COVID-19 vaccinations offer effective protection from these risks. This new analysis reports information on all pregnant women admitted with symptoms of confirmed COVID-19 in pregnancy in the UK from the beginning of the pandemic up to 11 July 2021. The data shows:

• 3371 pregnant women have been admitted to hospital with symptomatic COVID-19. • The severity of women’s illness appears to have become worse; 24% of women admitted in the first wave had moderate or severe disease, compared with 36% with the Alpha variant and 45% with the

Delta variant. • Vaccination data has been collected since 1

February 2021. Of 742 women admitted since that date, only four have received a single dose of vaccine and none have received both doses.

Marian Knight, Professor of Maternal and Child Population Health at the Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford and chief investigator of the study, said: ‘It is extremely good news that so few vaccinated pregnant women have been admitted to hospital with COVID-19. However, it is very concerning that admissions of pregnant women to hospital with COVID-19 are increasing and that pregnant women appear to be more severely affected by the Delta variant of the disease. ‘ I cannot emphasise more

I cannot emphasise more strongly how strongly how important it is important it is for for pregnant women to get pregnant women vaccinated in order to protect to get vaccinated both them and their baby. in order to protect both them and their baby. Until they are vaccinated, pregnant women must continue to be extremely attentive to social distancing measures including mask wearing, 2m distancing and meeting outdoors where possible.’ Nicola Vousden, Registrar in Public Health at the Nuffield Department of Population Health and the first author of the study said: ‘Worldwide more than 200,000 pregnant women have now received a COVID vaccine, with more than 50,000 in the UK. This study shows that very few pregnant women are admitted to hospital with COVID-19 after they have received a vaccine. Other studies have shown that women who have received a vaccine pass on antibodies to their babies, so the benefits of vaccination to both pregnant women and their babies are clear.’ The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Royal College of Midwives recommend that unvaccinated women who are pregnant or considering pregnancy get their vaccine as soon as possible, and book their second doses once they are eligible.

Families Baby News Introducing a NEW Swing Maxi -double pumping power reimagined! ★★★★★

World leading breastfeeding brand, Medela, has unveiled an exciting new redesign of its iconic Swing Maxi, offering mums double pumping power with a new sleek, quiet and compact design with USB charging.

Perfect for on the go, the easy to use, reimagined Swing Maxi is lighter, quieter and more discreet than before, whilst the USB charging capabilities not only make the pump even easier and faster to charge, but it also enables wire free usage wherever mum may be. When fully charged the battery life lasts up to 6 pumping sessions - great for regular pumping when out and about.

Adding to the discreet redesign, the new Swing Maxi is considerably quieter than its predecessor, coming in under 45DB on the highest setting – so ideal when pumping on the go or when mum is trying to catch up on a good box set!

Featuring the iconic oval shaped PersonalFit Flex™ breast shields that help to find the most comfortable position (whilst adapting to every mum’s unique shape), the Flex technology not only offers the very best support, but is also clinically proven to produce 11% more milk!

Flexibly fitting into mum’s busy lifestyle, the new Swing Maxi makes expressing easier and more efficient than ever before. The compact size and handy fabric loop enable the pump to be used hands free (accompanied by the brand’s best-selling Easy Expression Bustier), hooking to clothing, a changing bag or being discreetly tucked away when in use.

The brand’s extensive research continues to show in their product development, creating research-based products mums know they can trust and rely on. Double pumping has been proven to produce 18% more milk compared to single pumping in less time, so alongside the benefits of the new Swing Maxi, it is certainly a great option for any mums to include as part of their breastfeeding journey.

The New Swing Maxi truly is ideal for use at home, on the go or wherever mum may be!

New Swing Maxi RRP: £250 shop.medela.co.uk