title: Prevention of mother-to-infant transmission of influenza during the postpartum period.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The optimal management of infants born to mothers with peripartum influenza infection is not known. The objective of this study is to describe our experience with a practice guideline that promotes rooming-in and breast-feeding and to determine whether infants managed in this way acquire influenza infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  All mothers diagnosed with influenza infection within 8 days of delivery and their infants were included. Demographics, clinical characteristics, and outcome data were collected. Mothers were contacted at ~1 month after giving birth to determine if their infants had developed any signs suggestive of influenza infection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-two women were diagnosed with peripartum influenza over the 2003 to 2005 and 2009 to 2010 seasons. Median onset of symptoms was 3 days before delivery, and median day of diagnosis was 1 day before delivery. The 42 infants had a median gestational age of 39 weeks; none were born earlier than 35 weeks. Ninety-five percent of the infants roomed-in with their mothers. Follow-up information was available on 95% of infants by 1 month; no infants had illness suggestive of influenza through the follow-up period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A guideline for the management of infants born to mothers with peripartum influenza infection, based on attention to hand hygiene, antiviral treatment for mothers, and encouragement of rooming-in and breast-feeding, was not associated with mother-to-infant influenza transmission over three separate influenza seasons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
authors.forename: Joseph B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Cantey
authors.forename: Susan L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Bascik
authors.forename: Nicholas G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Heyne
authors.forename: Jon R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.forename: Gregory L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: Vanessa L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Rogers
authors.forename: Jeanne S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Sheffield
authors.forename: Sylvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Treviño
authors.forename: Dorothy
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sendelbach
authors.forename: George D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Wendel
authors.forename: Pablo J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Sánchez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001942:Breast Feeding; D005260:Female; D063373:Hand Hygiene; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission*; D008297:Male; D049590:Postpartum Period; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012386:Rooming-in Care; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents