Pregnant women "fit to fly"
01 Aug 2008Pregnant women getting ready to go on holiday this summer may be confused over travel advice, it has been claimed.
Stuart Bensusan, sales director at Essential Travel, told travelbite.co.uk that his firm deals with around 60 calls a day from women in their first trimester of pregnancy who are concerned about what special insurance they may need.
However, Mr Bensusan explained that pregnancy is not classed as a "pre-existing medical condition" unless the woman has had problems when expecting children before.
Regular travel insurance covers women for the first 32 weeks of their pregnancy, thereafter they will need to arrange extra cover and check with a doctor they are fit to fly, he said.
Some airline companies, such as British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Ryanair and easyJet, can request a "fit to fly" letter if a woman is more than 28 weeks pregnant, although the majority allow them to fly up until week 35.
In conclusion, pregnant women should always ensure they have a European
Health Insurance Card (EHIC) if they are travelling in Europe as this entitles them to free or reduced cost emergency medical care if something should go wrong.
The NHS Direct website claims that between 12 and 25 weeks is the best time for a pregnant woman to travel as there is a higher risk of miscarriage before this time, although this is not linked to flying.
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