Pregnancy in the time of Pandemic, all you need to know

With the horror of Coronavirus spreading across the world like wildfire, It has started giving the global medical infrastructure a tough time. Even the super-economy of the United States is struggling to control the damage Coronavirus has done to its country. As of April 3, there are over 245,400 cases in the US with more than 7000 deaths. If these stats worry you, Italy over 14000 deaths and Spain’s 11000+ deaths might disturb you.

Amidst this moment of global health emergency, while enough is being discussed how the virus impacts elderly, children, and diseased people, not many are talking about pregnant women. Even the number of Corona positive pregnant women is not in light till now. 

How does Coronavirus impact pregnancy?

“Although there is currently not enough evidence to suggest that women who are pregnant are at higher risk of COVID-19, they should take more care of their body, especially during the last trimester (26th week onwards), suggests Dr Gautam Allahbadia, a Dubai-based senior reproductive Endocrinologist. In the third trimester, women’s immune system begins to go a little downhill, which can be an ideal opportunity for viruses to attack, the doctor advises further with a sign of caution.

Antenatal health management

A woman’s body needs immense care during and before pregnancy. Not a single stone needs to be left unturned in making the body ideal for childbirth. Unfortunately, we still have very limited knowledge of COVID-19 and its infection in the case of pregnancy. This makes it a challenge not only for mothers-to-be but also for doctors. “What I advise pregnant women, apart from being completely quarantined, is to rely on a healthy diet and Yoga at home to not let their immunity be compromised,” says Gautam Allahbadia, who heads the IVF department of Millennium Medical Center (MMC IVF), Dubai.

Fetal health and Coronavirus

Gautam Allahbadia says, COVID-19 doesn’t look like a disease that can be transmitted to the child from the mother, unlike the Zika virus, although it might be possible for the baby to get attacked by the virus after birth. Medical experts around the globe are also denying the disease’s sexually transmittable nature. 

In the past there have been concerns about pregnant women being at a greater risk of COVID-19 than their non-pregnant counterparts. However, reports coming from China quash such accounts. 

Coronavirus has changed the dynamics of pregnancy and childbirth in the current scenario. If an infected mother delivers a baby, the only prevention available is the social distancing of the child from the mom. In that case, the mother would have to feed the baby by pumping her breast milk.

Mothers are suggested to be in regular contact with their specialists during the pregnancy period and not panic much, since mother’s overall health is of utmost importance.