Covid and pregnant women
Although not much is yet known about Covid, NHS experts give some advice to pregnant women.
Covid-19 makes a higher risk of health for all people. But some groups are considered to be most at risks, such as the elderly, those with underlying health conditions and pregnant women. Health experts remain cautious about the advice they give about how Covid could affect pregnant women because still so little is know about this virus.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has previously said that there was no evidence that pregnant women are at higher risk of severe illness than the general population. However, due to changes in their bodies and immune systems, pregnant women can be badly affected by some respiratory infections. That is why they need to take precautions against Covid-19 and report any symptoms to their healthcare provider. So WHO has recommended that pregnant women who show symptoms of the coronavirus should be prioritized for testing.
Public Health England is giving advice that pregnant women have to follow the social distancing measures put in place. Pregnant women should avoid non-essential journeys, gatherings with people outside their household or those who show Covid-19 symptoms, and work from home if possible. NHS also said women with underlying health conditions, such as asthma or diabetes, are likely to be more unwell if they develop the virus. Pregnant women who have symptoms of Covid-19 are advised to self-isolate.
But it is still not clear yet whether a mum-to-be who has contracted the Covid-19 can pass it on to her unborn child in the womb or during childbirth. The RCOG says that in all reported cases of newborn babies developing Covid-19 very soon after birth, the baby was well. Then no previous infection has been shown to cause fetal abnormalities. A small number of premature births has been reported among babies born to women with Covid-19 symptoms in China.
Because of the limited data available for this new Covid-19, health experts are continuously reviewing the advice given to pregnant women, and are relying on previous reports and data to create a picture of the risks associated with the virus. According to the RCOG, women with Covid-19 can breastfeed but should take precautions such as trying to avoid coughing or sneezing on the baby and considering wearing a face mask.
The WHO advises women who are too unwell to breastfeed their babies due to the pandemic to use alternative arrangements, such as expressing milk, relactation or donor human milk. The RCOG also said that there is no evidence showing that this virus can be spread from mother to infant via breast milk.