Everything you Need to Know about Covid and Pregnancy

Pregnancy in itself is a very beautiful journey for any woman and her complete family but the coronavirus brings great risks to women during pregnancy.

Coronavirus disease 2019 is a respiratory illness that is caused by a virus called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). There are pieces of evidence that show that pregnant women who are diabetic or suffering from any kind of heart condition are prone to get infected with the coronavirus. The risk of Covid during pregnancy such as preterm labor, the birth of a premature newborn child, or preeclampsia may be increased if symptoms are moderate or severe. Pregnant patients are at a 70% increased risk of death as compared to non-pregnant patients.

Symptoms of COVID-19 during pregnancy

Most people experience mild or no symptoms when affected by COVID-19 but in some cases, people get severely ill and die. Symptoms include cold, cough, fever, and shortness of breath. The first symptom usually observed in infected people is loss of smell or taste. There is no evidence of any specific symptoms observed in pregnant women but this has been observed that women with a heart condition or diabetes will face severe illness and require hospitalization, extensive care, and/or a ventilator.

Prevention of COVID-19 during pregnancy

It is difficult to take precautions if the person isn’t able to know whether he/she is infected or not. It is advised to get a thorough checkup done during pregnancy and after the delivery, if the mother is infected, it is advised to keep the baby and women separate to keep the baby away from the coronavirus infection.

Some preventive measures for COVID-19 during and after pregnancy

COVID-19 vaccine

It has been recommended for anyone above 5 years to get the vaccination including pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, one who has delivered, or anyone who might be pregnant in the future. The safety and effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine are enhancing and progressing with research. The vaccination helps pregnant women build antibodies that will protect the baby from getting infected.

Also Read : sitting positions to avoid during pregnancy

Breastfeeding

The risk of transferring the virus through breast milk from mother to baby is very low or not possible but still proper pieces of evidence are required to be sure about this. So, there are some preventive measures that any breastfeeding mother needs to follow including-

• Wash your hands properly before going to breastfeed or before touching the breast pump or bottle
• Milk needs to be taken and fed by someone who is not infected
• Clean the breast pump and other bottles after use
• Clean the pumping area properly
• If the mother chooses to breastfeed herself, then she should wear a mask and wash her hands properly before every feeding session