Because of changes that occur naturally during pregnancy, pregnant women are more likely to get viral infections because their immune system is less active. However, in the case of SARS-CoV-2, which is the virus responsible for COVID-19, although the immune system of the pregnant woman is more weakened, there does not appear to be a risk of developing more severe symptoms of the disease.
However, while there is no evidence of the severity of pregnancy-related COVID-19, it is important for women to adopt hygiene and caution habits to prevent contagion and transmission to others, such as washing their hands with soap and water on a regular basis and covering their mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing. Learn how to protect yourself from COVID-19.
To date, there have been few reports of complications related to COVID-19 during pregnancy.
However, according to a study in the United States [1], the new coronavirus can cause clots in the placenta, which appears to reduce the amount of blood transported to the baby. However, the baby’s development does not appear to be affected and most babies born to mothers with COVID-19 had normal weight and development for gestational age.
Although coronaviruses responsible for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-1) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) were linked to serious complications during pregnancy, such as kidney complications, the need for hospitalization and endotheral intubation, SARS-CoV -2 was not associated with any complications. However, for women with more severe symptoms, it is important to contact the health care service and follow recommended guidelines.
In a study of 9 pregnant women [2] who were confirmed with COVID-19, none of their babies tested positive for the new type of coronavirus, suggesting that the virus is not passed down from mother to child during pregnancy or childbirth.
In this study, the virus was sought in the amniotic fluid, baby’s throat, and breast milk to see if there would be a risk to the baby, but the virus was not found in any of these studies, indicating that the risk of transmitting the virus to the baby during childbirth or breastfeeding is minimal.
Another study of 38 pregnant women who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 [3] also indicated that babies tested negative for the virus, confirming the hypothesis of the first study.
According to WHO [4] and some studies of pregnant women [2.3], the risk of transmitting the new coronavirus infection to the baby appears to be very low and women are therefore advised to breastfeed if they feel healthy and wish to do so. Then.
It is only recommended that a woman exercise caution when breastfeeding to protect the baby from other transmission pathways, such as washing her hands before breastfeeding and wearing a mask while breastfeeding.
Symptoms of COVID-19 during pregnancy range from mild to moderate, with symptoms similar to those of people who are not pregnant, such as:
Diarrhoea and breathing difficulties have also been observed in some cases, and it is important that the woman is followed to the hospital in these situations. Be aware of coVID-19 symptoms.
While there is no evidence that the woman’s symptoms are more severe during pregnancy, or that there may be complications for the baby, it is important for a woman to take steps to avoid getting the new coronavirus, such as:
In addition, it is important for pregnant women to rest, drink plenty of fluids and have healthy habits for the immune system to function properly, by being able to fight viral infections, such as COVID-19.
Learn more about how to combat the new coronavirus in the video below: