Pregnancy and travel

Poor quality medical care in some countries is an important concern, because of a lack of sterile equipment and lack of screening of blood products The safest time for travel is 18-24 weeks--after the risk of miscarriage and unpleasant nausea, but before problems such as premature labour Women with a previous history of miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy should be advised against travelling to countries where medical care is poor After 28 weeks a doctor's letter may be required before an airline will allow a pregnant woman to fly On board an aircraft, pregnant women should walk around the cabin at least once an hour to minimise the risk of deep vein thrombosis Malaria in pregnancy can be severe for both mother and fetus: chloroquine and proguanil have a long safety record Mefloquine is contraindicated in the first trimester and doxycycline should be avoided during pregnancy.