Medically reviewed by
Dr. Eric Coughlin
McLeod OB/GYN Associates

“We know that people with compromised immune systems, such as patients with cancer or diabetes, are at greater risk for COVID-19,” says McLeod OB/GYN Dr. Eric Coughlin. “We know that in pregnancy a woman experiences changes in her body and some of them may increase her risk of infections. We are aware that viruses similar to COVID-19, such as influenza (flu) and SARS-CoV, put pregnant women at a higher risk of developing severe respiratory illness; however, as of now (March 27, 2020), there is a lot we don’t know.”

According to the American Academy of Obstetricians and Gynecologists:

• Very little is known about COVID-19 related to its effects on women and infants.
• Current available data does not indicate that pregnant women are at increased risk of COVID-19.
• Adverse infant outcomes, such as pre-term birth, have been reported to mothers, who tested positive for COVID-19 during pregnancy. However, this is based on limited information.
• It is currently unclear if COVID-19 can cross from the mother into the fetus.
• There is no evidence of the coronavirus being found in a mother’s breast milk.

THINGS TO KNOW

Check with your OB/GYN about visitor limitations in your hospital’s Labor & Delivery. At McLeod Regional Medical Center, McLeod Health Dillon, McLeod Health Clarendon, and McLeod Health Loris, “Birthing mothers may have one support person for the duration of the stay.”

• Watch for symptoms of COVID-19 – coughing, fatigue, body aches, chest congestion, respiratory symptoms, and a continued fever of 100°F or higher.  Call your OB/GYN to report these symptoms.

AFTER THE BABY ARRIVES

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) currently recommends that babies not be allowed to room in with a new mother either diagnosed or suspected of COVID-19.  The guidelines recommend that the infant should be placed in isolation and treated as a presumed positive COVID-19 case.
• Have a plan in place when you get home in case the mother, a member of the family or a caregiver gets sick.

ACTION YOU CAN TAKE 

• Stress can affect a pregnant women or new mother. Try to take breaks from news of the pandemic on radio, TV or the chatter on social media.
• Stay in touch with family – but do it electronically until the pandemic is past. Use phone, text, email, or visual-type chats (FaceTime, Skype, etc.)

As the number of COVID-19 cases increase, more data and information will become available about the impact on a pregnant person, her fetus and new born baby. This article will be updated as that information becomes available.

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Sources include: McLeod Health, Academy of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, The Lancet, March of Dimes, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)