Health Officials Worried About Pregnant Women And COVID 19

What are the potential risks of the COVID virus to pregnant women and their soon-to-be bundles of joy…?

At the current time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it’s unknown if the virus would cause problems during a pregnancy or affect the health of a baby after birth.

While pregnant women are more likely to be at risk for some infections due to changes in their bodies, the CDC also says too much is unknown at this time including if potential problems can result to the baby before or during delivery, or during breastfeeding after the baby is born.

A study published on March 26 in JAMA Pediatrics examined 33 babies in Wuhan, China, who were born to women with Covid-19. The report found that three of the babies contracted the disease despite there being strict procedures in place to prevent infection, which suggested that the mothers could have passed the virus to their babies either before, during or directly after birth. While there isn’t enough data to know for sure, the authors concluded that “it is crucial to screen pregnant women and implement strict infection control measures, quarantine of infected mothers, and close monitoring of neonates at risk of Covid-19.”

In the meantime, the CDC goes onto say the only sure thing is that pregnant women should continue to practice the basics to avoid infection which, of course, include: covering your cough, avoid sick people and clean your hands as often as possible using soap and water or alcohol-based sanitizer.