Traveller's Series
BC HealthFile #41g, February 2008
The Pregnant Traveller
- Pack comfortable, loose fitting clothes, including long sleeve shirts,
pants, closed-toe walking shoes, sunglasses, hat, sunscreen, and insect repellent.
- For areas with high risk of HIV infection or improper sterilization techniques,
take a kit with sterile disposable syringes and needles. This kit must have
a medical certificate signed by a doctor.
- In case of an emergency, have an evacuation plan to a local medical facility
with a safe blood supply.
- If taking oral medication or insulin, pack enough supplies for the entire
trip and keep them in your carry-on luggage. Carry all prescriptions with
you.
- Wear a medical alert bracelet if you have allergies, chronic disease, or
other health concerns.
- Talk to your doctor about taking antibiotics and anti-diarrhea medications
with you.
If your immunization status is incomplete or unknown, be sure you have protection
against Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis, and Polio.
You may also need the following vaccines:
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Influenza
- Rabies
- Japanese Encephalitis
- Meningococcal
- Yellow Fever
ContactContact your doctor, travel clinic, or public health nurse for information
on the risk of infection while travelling, versus the risk of immunization while
being pregnant. It is best to postpone immunization until after the first three
months of pregnancy.
You should not have the following vaccines during pregnancy: measles,
mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine, oral typhoid, Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG)
vaccine, or chickenpox vaccine.
- You will need a doctor's written note and medical history in order to travel
by air once you are 36 weeks pregnant.
- Air travel is not recommended in the last month of pregnancy and for the
first six days after delivery.
- Drink lots of fluids on the airplane. Avoid salty foods and alcohol.
- Try to get a seat next to the aisle and near the washroom.
- Walk up and down the aisles to stretch and increase circulation.
- Take frequent naps to prevent fatigue and jet lag.
- Malariais a disease caused by mosquito bites and tiny parasites that get
into the bloodstream.
- The effects of malaria are more severe among pregnant women and developing
babies, including a risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, and death for a mother
and infant. Pregnant women and infants should not take certain anti-malaria
medications; therefore pregnant women and infants should avoid travel to areas
where anti-malaria medications are required. If travel cannot be avoided,
pregnant women and parents with infants should visit their doctor, or a travel
clinic to find out if there is a safe medication. They should also be extra
careful to avoid mosquito bites.
- Mosquito bite precautions include, insect repellants and mosquito nets,
covering all exposed skin, and limit outdoor activity from dusk to dawn.
- For more information, see BC HealthFiles
#41f Malaria Prevention, and #41d
Travelling with Children.
- Pepto Bismol® should not be used to treat diarrhea in the
last six weeks of pregnancy. Food and water precautions should be followed
carefully. See BC HealthFile #41e Traveller’s
Diarrhea for more information.
- Sulpha drugs and Ciprofloxacin, which are used sometimes for traveller’s
diarrhea, are not recommended for pregnant women.
- Boil Boil water. Do not use iodine drops to purify water. Exposure
to iodine may cause goiter or enlarged thyroid gland in the baby.
See BC HealthFile #41e Traveller’s
Diarrhea for more information on water treatment.
- Do wear a seat belt (shoulder or lap) when in a motor vehicle.
- Do not scuba dive, water ski, or ride a motorcycle.
- Swim only in the ocean or in chlorinated and clean swimming pools.
- Avoid over-heating (hyperthermia) in hot climates. Do not use saunas or
hot tubs.
- Avoid low body temperature (hypothermia) in cold climates.
- Avoid extreme physical activity at high altitudes.
Call the BC NurseLine to speak
to a registered nurse, available 24-hours every day:
- In Greater Vancouver, call 604-215-4700
- In BC, call toll-free 1-866-215-4700
- Deaf and hearing-impaired, call 1-866-889-4700
- Pharmacist available 5pm to 9am every day
- Translation services in over 130 languages upon request
Visit BC
HealthGuide OnLine - a world of health information you can trust
at www.bchealthguide.org.
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