Pregnancy during COVID-19

Navigating pregnancy during the ongoing pandemic can be stressful and challenging. The spread of coronavirus has led to heightened fears among pregnant woman who are left wondering if they can continue with their pregnancy safely or if they or their babies maybe at risk of contracting the virus. Women who are looking to conceive are also unsure if it will be prudent to continue with their pregnancy plans.

The good news is that, as per all the available data and research, mother-to-child transmission of coronavirus is highly unlikely. Pregnant women have not shown any higher risk of getting infected by the coronavirus. They can look forward to delivering a healthy baby unaffected by the virus, provided adequate precautions are taken.

Till date, there has been no evidence of any adverse effect on pregnancies due to the pandemic, except some increase in the incidence of pre-term deliveries, fetal distress or premature rupture of the membrane. None of these is a cause of concern as they can be medically tackled.

The biggest cause of anxiety has been laid to rest by experts, as there have been no cases of vertical transmission of the disease from the mother to the child. This means that even if a woman develops coronavirus during her pregnancy term, she will not pass it on to her child and can continue her pregnancy safely.

The virus has not been found in the amniotic fluid, umbilical cord blood, or the nasopharyngeal swab of newborn babies. In fact, there is no evidence suggesting that the virus can cross the fetoplacental barrier. As a precaution, however, pregnant women should defer visits for ante-natal checkups unless advised by their doctor. For minor queries, they should use online help from their doctor, or telemedicine services.

As a precaution, expecting mothers should adhere to regular COVID-19 do’s and don’ts, such as washing hands frequently with soap and water, avoiding contact of unwashed hands with eyes, nose, or mouth, and wearing a mask.

Even though breast milk is totally safe if the lactating mother is COVID-19 positive, breastfeeding may not be the best option as the virus maybe transmitted to the baby through her respiratory droplets. COVID-positive lactating mother can still feed their babies expressed breast milk or formula milk (when advised) by asking a Covid-19 negative person to do so on their behalf.

If, however, such a situation arises when a COVID-positive mother needs to feed the baby herself, she should wear a mask and avoid coughing or sneezing while breastfeeding. She must also wash hands before touching the baby, the breast pump, or milk bottles.

Women looking to start a family are also at no greater risk of contracting coronavirus infection compared to any other individual. If a woman has conceived during these Covid-19 times, she should take precautions such as staying at home and avoiding travel and public transport. She should avoid contact with those running high temperature or anyone who has developed COVID-like symptoms. Follow social distancing and avoid social gatherings.

Expectant women should maintain good hygiene. They should take a healthy, immunity-boosting diet including adequate quantities of fruits, green vegetables, high protein, and other foods recommended by their doctors.

Expectant mothers infected with COVID-19 do not have any increased risk during delivery, compared to a non-COVID woman. While there is not much data about Covid-19 during early pregnancies, for late pregnancies, the Sion Hospital in Mumbai registered about 100 infected mothers delivering healthy babies. All such newborns tested negative for Covid-19 and their mothers have been doing well since.

COVID-infected pregnant women should not stress themselves. They should just follow government advice and regulations such as calling the maternity unit in advance to inform them about their arrival and declaration of the disease to the doctors.

Infected expectant mothers should self-isolate at an early stage and practice aggressive infection control, including wearing a mask. Monitoring fetal movements and uterine contraction should be done often to ensure that the child is doing well. COVID-19 positive pregnant patients have no need to panic as the recovery rate is well above 90%.

(The writer is a Laparoscopic Surgeon and Fertility Specialist, Medical Director, Radhakrishna Multispecialty Hospital and IVF Center, Bengaluru)