Coronavirus and how it affects pregnancy…
#coronavirusandpregnancy
So I’ve been getting a lot of questions and this is what we know so far as of 3/18/2020 but of course this could change in the near future…
🤰🏽Am I at more risk for COVID-19 if I'm pregnant? So far, it doesn't look like it. Pregnancy does change your immune system in ways that might make you more susceptible to viral respiratory infections, but based on limited data so far, this does not appear to be the case.
🤰🏽How might coronavirus affect my pregnancy? The data for COVID-19 is limited, but we know that women with other coronavirus infections did NOT have miscarriage or stillbirth at higher rates than the general population.
🤰🏽Could I transmit coronavirus to my baby during pregnancy or delivery? Among the few case studies of infants born to mothers with COVID-19 published, none of the infants tested positive for the virus. Also, there was no virus detected in samples of amniotic fluid or breast milk. But there have been a few reports of newborns as young as a few days old, suggesting that a mother can transmit the infection to her infant through close contact.
🤰🏽Is it safe for me to deliver at a hospital where there have been cases? It should be. We know that this is a very scary virus. The good news is that hospitals are taking great precautions to keep patients and healthcare providers safe. Hospitals are also implementing stricter visiting policies.
🤰🏽What if my OB gets COVID-19? If your doctor or midwife tests positive for COVID-19, they will need to be quarantined until they recover and are no longer at risk of transmitting the virus. In this case, you'll be assigned to another OB. Ask your new OB or your doctor's office if you should self-quarantine or be tested for the virus.
🤰🏽Should we hold off on trying to conceive because of COVID-19? At this time, there's no reason to hold off on trying to get pregnant, but the data we have is really limited. But we don't know for sure whether you could transmit it to your baby before or during delivery.
🤰🏽My mom was planning to fly here to help, should I tell her not to come? Yes. If your mom is over 60 or has any serious chronic medical conditions, she is at higher risk.
Please share with friends, you could safe a life!
~Dr. E💛
Source: Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine