Pregnancy – 40 miraculous weeks of Happiness and Blooming,
No-one Can resist spending unforgettable happy moments with a pregnant woman, moments when a little angel starts growing inside You (pregnant lady). Pregnant women during their pregnancy period keep asking and worrying about the health of their babies (Which is Normal, That’s our nature). Especially after the recent outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19).
If you are pregnant you might have in mind one of these questions:
- What is the Coronavirus?
- Would an illness or viruses affect the baby?
- What symptoms do pregnant/breastfeeding women need to be aware of?
- How Dangerous is it for a pregnant woman to get this Coronavirus?
- Can the virus pass to my baby during pregnancy and childbirth?
- If I have COVID-19 at the time of delivery, will I need a cesarean section?
- Can the virus pass through breastfeeding?
- What are the best strategies for avoiding The Coronavirus? ( I WILL TELL YOU A strategy they don’t want you to know for avoid coronavirus in the end of this article )
Don’t worry, answers and details will be discussed in the coming sections. Also, you will find all that you need to know about Pregnancy and Coronavirus.
- Zika Virus,
- Rubella,
- Herpes,
- Varicella-zoster
- Cytomegalovirus.
A Life-saving tip: If you have any fever when pregnant, then it is obligatory to visit the doctor.
1. What is Coronavirus?
After years of suffering from the Zika virus which leads to birth abnormalities, a new Dangerous Virus has appeared in 2019. The Novel Coronavirus affect animals and humans, it causes very serious respiratory illnesses. The global outbreak of this Virus was confirmed by The world health organization (WHO) in 2020.
It started in The Chinese city Wu Han and has spread all over the world. Scientists, Doctors, and experts have not found any effective cure to this alarming virus, yet, there is hope that we’ll hit this virus, thanks to the continuous procedures and efforts made by the international community.
2. What symptoms do pregnant/breastfeeding women need to be aware of?
As was mentioned before, Covid-19 attacks the respiratory system. People with Coronavirus have had many symptoms including Fever, cough, muscle pain, sore throat, and headache (other symptoms could appear). They appear in 2 to 14 days. Being pregnant or not, you have to be careful and cautious. Prevention is better than cure, make sure you call the doctor if you get any of these symptoms, this way you will save your life, and the baby’s as well.
3. Are pregnant women more susceptible to the virus?
So far (April 2020) there is no evidence that pregnant women are more susceptible to Covid-19 than other people. Yet, according to the centers for disease control and Prevention (CDC) pregnant women, in general, may develop some respiratory infections compared to other people such as Flu, and this is caused by the changes that affect the immune system. Also, pregnancy may have an impact on the lungs and heart. What’s more, infected pregnant women would suffer from the same outcomes (Pneumonia..) like other infected people.
4. How dangerous is it for a pregnant woman to get the Coronavirus?
As you all know the virus is still new. So, the whole world still strives to get more data about it especially from past studies.
According to a survey presented by the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), The outcomes of the virus would be worse if it infects a pregnant woman. Moreover, the infection may lead to severe fever, miscarriage, preterm birth, and stillbirth. Note that the fever may cause some birth defects especially when it happens in the early stages of pregnancy (week 1 to week 12) of pregnancy.
Well! The previous facts might be scary, but here is good news for you, women from all over the world, who are infected with the Virus, have delivered successfully. The world health organization (WHO) made a case study in which 147 infected pregnant women were observed. The good news is that the majority (81 percent) did not suffer from severe outcomes, while the rest did.
Reports presented by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologist showed that there is no confirmed evidence that Coronavirus leads to miscarriage.
Infected women in China Gave birth preterm babies but it is indefinite if the reason was the infection of Coronavirus.
5. Can the virus pass to my baby during pregnancy or Childbirth?
This is the most frequent question!!
Luckily, Based on the number of pregnant women who are infected and gave birth, The answer is a NO, Because no case or evidence confirms this.
The current studies show that Covid-19 can pass through direct contact, coughing, and sneezing by infected people. But the newborn could be susceptible to person-to-person spread after birth.
Reports in China presented a study that took nine pregnant women who are infected with Covid-19, these women are in the last trimester and luckily the virus was not detected in the Amniotic fluid or Cord blood or throat swabs of the newborns.
Very small numbers of babies were tested positive for the virus after birth. Yet, Doctors and experts are not sure whether these newborns got infected before or after birth.
6- If I have the Covid-19 at the time of delivery, will I need a cesarean section?
Whether the pregnant woman is infected or no, there are many factors to consider before you decide whether you give birth vaginally or Via Cesarean.
Experts and Doctors always encourage women to deliver vaginally because the infected pregnant lady may not be physically able to give birth via cesarean. This could lead to additional dangerous complications. However, in such situations, Doctors take the decision.
7- Can the Coronavirus pass through breast milk?
Based on recent studies in which samples of breast milk were Studied, The BREAST Milk does not transmit the Virus. So, the answer to the question is No. Yet, experts call for more research on this issue.
But!!! If you have Covid-19 symptoms, you must consult the doctor before you start breastfeeding your baby to avoid any possible risk.
The CDC suggests the following procedures for women who decide to breastfeed:
1. You must wear a Face Mask
2. Wash your hand before you touch the baby
3. Wash your hands before you handle a breast bump or bottle.
4. Find someone (Mom) who is well to give your baby expressed breast milk.
8. What are the best strategies for avoiding The Coronavirus?
You as a pregnant woman, you have to be very careful especially during this current situation.
The following tips can save your life. Make sure you follow them.
1. Wash hands frequently
2. Catch coughs and sneezes with disposable tissues
3. Throw away used tissues and wash hands.
4. Keep yourself distant from people
5. Stay away from crowded places
Sources
- COVID-19 virus infection and pregnancy. (2020).
- Favre G, et al. (2020). Guidelines for pregnant women with suspected SARS-CoV-2 infection. DOI:
- Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and pregnancy. (2020).
- Guan W-j, et al. (2020). Clinical characteristics of coronavirus disease 2019 China.
- Practice advisory: Novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19). (n.d.).
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding: Information about coronavirus disease 2019. (2020).
- Report of the WHO-China joint mission on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). (2020).
- Statement on the second meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) Emergency Committee regarding the outbreak of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). (2020).
- Wang H, et al. (2020). Novel coronavirus infection and pregnancy. DOI:
- Zeng L, et al. (2020). Neonatal early-onset infection with SARS-CoV-2 in 33 neonates born to mothers with COVID-19 in Wuhan, China. DOI: