Neonatologists from Hyderabad have urged families to break away from the usual practice of visiting new mothers and babies immediately after delivery.
They said that crowding in a small room increases the infection risk of mothers and newborns. The specialists said that they have witnessed people crowding at hospitals during the ongoing second wave too.
Ramesh B. Damapuri, consultant paediatrician, suggested people to rely on video calling instead. “Family members will be eager and happy to see the newborns. But, in current times, it is better not to visit immediately after delivery and further to keep the mother and the child safe,” said Dr Ramesh, secretary of National Neonatology Forum (NNF)-Telangana chapter.
President of NNF-Telangana chapter, Srinivas Murki said that there have been cases where a mother and her newborn were negative for COVID-19, but detected with coronavirus a week later. Visits by multiple people was suspected to be the source of infection.
If the mother has tested positive for coronavirus and the newborn is negative, both have to be isolated for 14 days, Dr Srinivas advised.
