[Advising the pregnant traveler. Place of the health care professionals]

Rev Prat. 2009 Dec 20;59(10 Suppl):23-8

Authors: Aubel N, Brin M, Equy V, Moreau-Gaudry A

OBJECTIVE: Travel during pregnancy is becoming highly common. The study objectives were to document the women habits, their source of information and the nature of advice given by their physician. METHOD: A retrospective survey was undertaken through a self-completed questionnaire given to women who had just delivered during the second trimester of 2008. RESULTS: 169 questionnaires have been returned. More than two thirds of the women declared to have traveled from which one third abroad. Ninety percent of the women were unaware that travel exposes them mainly to the risk of thromboembolism. Women feared hypothetical obstetrical risk but neglected to take their medical record with them. CONCLUSION: Pregnant women remain under-informed when it comes to the risks they might run while traveling, particularly venous thromboembolism. Specific attention should be attached to foreign travel as a trip in an endemic area must be strongly discouraged and if not possible, benefits from immunization and malaria prophylaxy should be carefuly weighed. During routine examination it appears essential to discuss the travel question and if necessary programm a special consultation to plan at best the future travels.

PMID: 20085217 [PubMed - in process]