Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Live
National
Indigo Stafford

Scotland's Chief medical officer warns against unplanned pregnancies during the coronavirus pandemic

Nicola Sturgeon appeared to squirm, as she was asked by a reporter about what Scots would be up to in self-isolation, and if it could lead to an increase of unplanned pregnancies.

Nicola Sturgeon quickly shut down the reporter, cracking a smile to say: "I'll hand this over to the obstetrician in the room."

She then handed over to Scotland's chief medical officer, Catherine Calderwood, who pleaded with Scots to consider if now is a good time to have a child.

Dr Catherine said she has, of course, thought about the consequences of Scots being isolated together for a long time.

She then warned Scots to consider "Is this a good time for me to start thinking about having a baby?" pointing out that 50 percent of pregnancies are unplanned.

She joked: "The Labour ward is always much busier nine months after Valentine's day."

Dr Catherine Calderwood, then warned Scots to seriously consider the implication of becoming pregnant during a pandemic.

She said: "The serious point is that almost all maternity services are emergency services, they can't be time-limited, you can't pause like elective surgery.

"People are making difficult choices and we would always encourage people to think, is this the right time for me? Am I in the best of health?

"Is this a good time for me to start thinking about having a baby?"

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.