Recently updated on February 16th, 2023 at 06:02 am
The COVID-19 outbreak has emerged in various changes in several industries and around the world. Coronavirus infection is spreading rapidly worldwide due to which measures of lockdown are taken. People are not going out of their houses for days and women who are pregnant have numerous concerns about their health, baby, and pregnancy. So in this blog, we will discuss some important points about how to deal with coronavirus during pregnancy.
What steps should a pregnant woman take?
Pregnant women should stay connected with their OB-GYN and ask them if any appointment can be conducted or spaced remotely to avoid any contact with the outside person and prevent the risk of exposure to COVID-19.
If a pregnant woman has come in contact with a person who is sick or having symptoms of the disease then they are suggested to inform their OB-GYN as quickly as possible.
Washing hands, maintaining social distancing, and staying away from a person who is sick can reduce the chances of being exposed to the virus. Some experts also recommend that women who are pregnant and diagnosed with COVID-19 should avoid at-home births.
Apart from that, it is suggested to follow advice from the CDC as recommendations may change from time to time.
At this point, the information says that the virus does not appear to spread through the womb. All newborns, with the abnormality of the baby in England, have been assessed negatively for COVID-19.
And as pregnant women are considered a high-risk group, at this point it doesn’t look like they have an increased risk of issues if they develop coronavirus.
What happens after birth?
After birth, if any woman is diagnosed with Coronavirus, including the mother, she will be kept in isolation from the newborn till they recover completely in order to prevent the transmission of the virus to the baby, according to a medical expert. The CDC is suggesting new moms with Coronavirus feed their baby with breast milk. As breast milk does not seem to carry the virus, but close contact should be avoided. As direct contact is a confirmed route of transmission, some measures are required to be carried out to lower their chance of infecting a newborn child if they breastfeed their baby.
New mothers can use some protective measures and equipment like gloves, masks, and gowns while feeding the newborn child. They can also feed the baby with a bottle.
Can COVID-19 increase the risk of complications?
Again the data is limited but one of the tendencies observed is that pregnant women with coronavirus are preterm delivery. In a current webinar for healthcare experts, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) shared some of their findings from assessing the health data of 34 women from China who were diagnosed with Coronavirus in the 3rd trimester.
They reported that pregnant women with Coronavirus have a higher chance of delivering the baby prematurely and on average giving birth in 36 weeks i.e 4 weeks before the actual due date.
In some severe cases, Coronavirus-19 can cause pneumonia, which is a major concern for pregnant ladies as their lung capacity is already a bit diminished, said a medical expert. If a pregnant woman observes poor oxygenation, the baby can be deprived of oxygen that can put them at a higher risk of lasting developmental issues. Says an expert.
Another worry is that COVID-19 another symptom is a fever.
In the 1st trimester, raised body temperature is linked with fetal development abnormality. In the 3rd trimester, high body temperature can cause dehydration that can cause premature delivery.
So pregnant women are recommended to stay safe and take necessary precautions to prevent themselves from this severe outbreak.
