Women who are more than 28 weeks pregnant and work in the NHS should stay at home, experts have said.
The Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists has updated advice to women who are expecting during the coronavirus pandemic.
They say those who are less than 28 weeks pregnant can continue to work in a patient-facing role, as long as they take necessary precautions.
The college added pregnant women’s choices on whether they work in direct patient-facing roles during the coronavirus pandemic should be respected and supported by their employers.
The latest advice suggests women who are more than 28 weeks pregnant, or have underlying health conditions, should avoid direct patient contact and it is recommended that they stay at home.
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There is nothing yet to suggest pregnant women are more likely to become infected than other healthy adults according to current evidence.
Currently, there is no evidence to suggest that coronavirus causes problems with the baby’s development or causes miscarriage.
There is also no evidence that coronavirus can be passed from mother to baby in utero (vertical transmission) and no previous coronavirus has been shown to cause fetal abnormalities.
Dr Jenny Harries, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, said: "The Government has taken the precautionary approach to include all pregnant women in a vulnerable group.
"This guidance will give pregnant healthcare workers the ability to make an informed choice about how they can continue to make an active and valuable contribution to the huge challenge facing us, whether at home or in the workplace.”
Dr Edward Morris, President of The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, added: "We fully understand and empathise with the fear and anxiety faced by all healthcare professinals at this uncertain time, and particularly by staff with vulnerabilities, including pregnant healthcare professionals.
"Although the evidence to date available offers no evidence of harm, it is not possible to give absolute assurance to any pregnant woman that contracting coronavirus carries no risk to her baby and no risk to her over and above that experienced by a non-pregnant healthy individual.
“In light of the limited evidence, pregnant women of any gestation should be offered the choice of whether to work in direct patient-facing roles during the COVID-19 pandemic, and their choices should be respected and supported.”
Gill Walton, Chief Executive of The Royal College of Midwives, said: “I know that many pregnant midwives and maternity support workers have been working hard supporting pregnant women while naturally being concerned for themselves.
"I want to assure you we are doing everything we can to get the right information to you. In the UK, there already exist significant protections in law for pregnant healthcare workers and these must be followed in relation to COVID-19.
“NHS Employers should do everything possible to maintain the health and wellbeing of their pregnant employees.
"The central aspect of this protection is based on risk assessment of each individual pregnant workers working environment and the role they play. We know that many hospital trusts and boards across the country are supporting many women in these choices and we strongly encourage others to do the same.”
