Pregnant women are more vulnerable to infection with COVID-19 compared to the general population, based on the experience of corona-affected patients in China and knowledge of viruses that cause severe respiratory illness, according to B. Radhika, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, KIMS ICON Hospital, Visakhapatnam.
In a statement, she advised pregnant women to avoid routine antenatal checkups, if they are not in the category of high-risk category or in the last trimester of pregnancy.
However, there are no reported deaths of pregnant women from coronavirus at the moment.
The virus is unlikely to affect the pregnancy of the woman and the reported cases of COVID-19 pneumonia so far in pregnancy are milder with good recovery rates.
Pregnant women with heart disease and obesity are at higher risk.
‘Strengthen support’
The pandemic increases the risk of perinatal anxiety and depression. It is important to strengthen the support for women and to reduce their fear and anxiety, she says.
There does not appear to be any increased risk of miscarriage or other complications such as fetal anomalies for pregnant women, who are infected with COVID-19, she says quoting a study.
‘Take precautions’
The precautions for pregnant women are more or less the same like washing hands regularly and effectively with soap as in the case of the general population, avoid large gatherings, social distancing, hydration and adequate rest are also important in maintaining the health of the immune system, fetal kick count should be checked daily and telehealth services should be considered as much as possible.
“More severe symptoms that necessitate immediate medical intervention include pneumonia, marked shortness of breath and patient unable to cope with the symptoms any more,” says Dr. Radhika.
A study of nine pregnant women, who were infected with COVID-19, showed that none of their babies were affected by the virus.
The virus was not present in amniotic fluid, the babies throat, or in the breast milk. The risk of passing the infection to the fetus appears to be probable but very low and there is no evidence of any fetal malformations or effects due to maternal infection with COVID-19, she added.
