3 B’deshis among 8 win CMAJ Bruce Squires Award

An eight-member international team, including three from Bangladesh, led by Dr Mark Steinhoff has received the Bruce Squires Award for their article titled "Neonatal outcomes after influenza immunisation during pregnancy: a randomised controlled trial" in Canada. The authors of a randomised controlled trial looking at the weight of newborns whose mothers were immunised for influenza during pregnancy have been awarded for their contribution to health care research in Canada, reports cmaj.ca. The trial, which involved 340 pregnant women in Bangladesh, showed that during flu season, maternal immunisation during pregnancy was associated with a lower proportion of infants who were small for gestational age and an increase in mean birth weight by 200 grams. The women were all in their third trimester, a time when a fetus gains upwards of 30 grams per day. When the mother is ill and doesn't eat for a few days, it can make a big difference, says Steinhoff. "The flu vaccine in pregnancy is a three-in-one," he adds. "It protects the mother, fetus and infant. All three benefit", according to a news agency.