Depressed pregnant women at higher risk.

• Position: Swine Flu - Brief article

Pregnant women with significant symptoms of depression tend to have a stronger biological reaction to the seasonal flu vaccine than do those with lower depression levels, according to a study from Ohio State University, Columbus. The finding pro vides an argument in favor of flu vaccination during pregnancy, researchers indicate, because it suggests that the immune systems in depressed pregnant women are not functioning typically. This immune dysregulation could affect symptom severity among women who become infected with influenza.

Previous studies have established a link between some preterm births and gestational high blood pressure cases and infection or inflammation. Avoiding the flu with a safe vaccine might be one way to lower the chances of complications, researchers maintain.

An internal inflammatory response to vaccination is not uncommon--it is an essential part of the process the immune system initiates to prepare for a successful fight against an actual infection, but it also is expected to be a weak and brief...