Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

As global travel increases, so does the prominence of travel-related illness in the United Kingdom and across the globe. Pregnant people face particular risks while travelling, and may consult healthcare providers on any additional preparations and precautions they should consider. The GP’s role is to identify risks specific to the individual, the type of travel and the destination, and to recommend interventions to mitigate these issues. This article seeks to describe these special considerations for the pregnant traveller, encompassing environmental hazards, infectious disease and access to care, and to provide guidance on how these patients should be advised.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Barish

(2004) In-flight radiation exposure during pregnancy. Obstetrics and Gynecology 103(6): 1326–1330. DOI: 10.1097/01.AOG.0000126947.90065.90.

Brand

Gaillard

West

, et al.(2019) Associations of maternal quitting, reducing, and continuing smoking during pregnancy with longitudinal fetal growth: Findings from Mendelian randomization and parental negative control studies. PLoS Med 16(11): e1002972DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002972.

Department for Transport (2003) Protection of air crew from cosmic radiation: Guidance material 2003. Available at: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/aviation/hci/ protectionofaircrewfromcosmi2961 (accessed 21 April 2020).

Einarson

Piwko

Koren

(2013) Quantifying the global rates of nausea and vomiting of pregnancy: A meta-analysis. Journal of Population Therapeutics and Clinical Pharmacology 20(2): e171–83.

European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (2017) Listeriosis: Annual epidemiological report for 2017. Available at: www.ecdc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/listeriosis-annual-epidemiological-report-2017.pdf (accessed 28 April 2020).

Hezelgrave

Whitty

CJM

Shennan

, et al.(2011) Advising on travel during pregnancy. BMJ 342: d2506DOI: 10.1136/bmj.d2506.

Hoen

Schaub

Funk

, et al.(2018) Pregnancy outcomes after ZIKV infection in French territories in the Americas. New England Journal of Medicine. 378: 985–994. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1709481.

Huch

Baumann

Fallenstein

, et al.(1986) Physiologic changes in pregnant women and their fetuses during jet air travel. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 154: 996–1000. DOI: 10.1016/0002-9378(86)90736-2.

James

Jamison

Brancazio

, et al.(2006) Venous thromboembolism during pregnancy and the postpartum period: Incidence, risk factors, and mortality. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 194(5): 1311–1315. DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2005.11.008.

10.

Kvarnstrand

Milsom

Lekander

, et al.(2008) Maternal fatalities, fetal and neonatal deaths related to motor vehicle crashes during pregnancy: A national population-based study. Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica 87: 946–952. DOI: 10.1080/00016340802302184.

11.

Lindsay

Ansell

Selman

, et al.(2000) Effect of pregnancy on exposure to malaria mosquitoes. Lancet 355(9219): 1972DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(00)02334-5.

12.

Marik

Plante

(2008) Venous thromboembolic disease and pregnancy. New England Journal of Medicine 359(19): 2025–2033. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMra0707993.

13.

McBride

Emmons

Lipkus

(2003) Understanding the potential of teachable moments: The case of smoking cessation. Health Education Research 18(2): 156–170. DOI: 10.1093/her/18.2.156.

14.

Medical Protection Society (2014) Fit to fly. Available at: www.medicalprotection.org/uk/articles/fit-to-fly (accessed 16 September 2020).

15.

Motozawa

Hitosugi

Abe

, et al.(2010) Effects of seat belts worn by pregnant drivers during low-impact collisions. American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology 203: 62.e1–e8. DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2010.02.047.

16.

NHS England (2018) Conditions for which over the counter items should not routinely be prescribed in primary care: Guidance for CCGs. Available at: www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/otc-guidance-for-ccgs.pdf (accessed 26 April 2020).

17.

NHS England (2020) Update to the GP contract agreement 2020/21-2023/24. Available at: www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/update-to-the-gp-contract-agreement-v2-updated.pdf (accessed 22 April 2020).

18.

NICE (2018) Clinical knowledge summary: DVT prevention for travellers. Available at: https://cks.nice.org.uk/dvt-prevention-for-travellers (accessed 26 April 2020).

19.

PHE (2018) Zika virus: Preventing the consequences of sexual transmission. Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/780720/Zika_sexual_transmission_advice_algorithm.pdf (accessed 12 April 2020).

20.

PHE (2019a) Malaria imported into the United Kingdom: 2018. Available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/malaria-in-the-uk-annual-report (accessed 12 April 2020).

21.

PHE (2019b) Zika virus: Epidemiology and cases diagnosed in the UK. Available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/zika-virus-epidemiology-and-cases-diagnosed-in-the-uk/zika-virus-epidemiology-and-cases-diagnosed-in-the-uk (accessed 10 April 2020).

22.

PHE (2019c) Revised algorithm for assessing pregnant women with a history of travel during pregnancy to countries or areas with risk for Zika virus (ZIKV) transmission. Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/780782/Zika_testing_algorithm_for_assessing_pregnant_women.pdf (accessed 8 December 2020).

23.

PHE (2019d) Guidelines for malaria prevention in travellers from the UK 2019. Available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/malaria-prevention-guidelines-for-travellers-from-the-uk (accessed 7 May 2020).

24.

RCGP. Clinical topic guide: Population health. Available at: www.rcgp.org.uk/training-exams/training/gp-curriculum-new/clinical-topic-guides/population-health.aspx (accessed 13 December 2020).

25.

RCOG (2013) Air travel and pregnancy: Scientific impact paper no. 1. Available at: www.rcog.org.uk/globalassets/documents/guidelines/scientific-impact-papers/sip_1.pdf (accessed 20 April 2020).

26.

RCOG (2015) Reducing the risk of venous thromboembolism during pregnancy and the puerperium. Available at: www.rcog.org.uk/globalassets/documents/guidelines/gtg-37a.pdf (accessed 8 April 2020).

27.

RCOG (2019) Zika virus infection and pregnancy. Available at: www.rcog.org.uk/globalassets/documents/guidelines/zika-virus-rcog-feb-2019.pdf (accessed 15 January 2021)..

28.

UK Government (n.d.) Travel abroad: Your rights at the airport. Available at: www.gov.uk/airport-rights (accessed 8 April 2020).

29.

Whitehead NS (2013) Prenatal counseling on seat belt use and crash-related medical care. Maternal and Child Health Journal 17(9): 1527–1532. DOI: 10.1007/s10995-011-0861-2.

30.

WHO (2013) What is the efficacy/effectiveness of antenatal care and the financial and organizational implications? Available at: www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/74662/E82996.pdf (accessed 16 April 2020).

31.

WHO (n.d.) Yellow fever. Available at: www.who.int/ith/vaccines/yf/en/ (accessed 22 April 2020).

Travel and pregnancy

Abstract

Get full access to this article

References