Pregnancy is a difficult period. But during a pandemic, it comes with additional anxieties and fears. We decided to calm you down and answer the most exciting questions for future parents.
What is the risk of infection of the mother? Is the virus transmitted to the fetus? How to protect yourself and your child from possible complications? These and other questions were answered by our expert – obstetrician-gynecologist of the Federal Research Center of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency of Russia Irina Zakaryan.
Opinions are divided
There are no unambiguous conclusions about the mechanism of intrauterine infection yet: some doctors believe that this is impossible, but the virus can enter the child’s body by airborne droplets immediately after its birth. Other experts voice the theory that a child who has barely mastered spontaneous breathing is not in danger of infection, but the virus can enter his bloodstream through damage to the placenta.
Either way, infection during pregnancy is a risk for both mother and baby. During this period, the placenta is the main source of nutrition and respiration of the fetus, and the necessary substances and oxygen are supplied to it from the mother’s body. Given that the most common symptom of COVID-19 is shortness of breath, it can be concluded that when the expectant mother becomes infected, the oxygen saturation of the blood and placenta decreases.
Despite studies proving the absence of significant threats of coronavirus infection for children under 1 year old, according to some data, in Russian practice, every fifth child infected with COVID-19 suffered damage to the heart muscle – a dangerous complication.
Rules for expectant mothers
Even in a pandemic, pregnancy and childbirth can go without complications. By itself, the period of bearing a child is not a risk factor for infection and severe course of COVID-19, in contrast to low immunity, excess weight and chronic diseases. Therefore, a set of measures is important to prepare for conception, gestation and childbirth. This is a diagnosis of the state of health of a woman and her husband, if necessary, therapy.
Take a break
Those who have had COVID-19 should postpone pregnancy planning for a period of 3 to 6 months. It is known that coronavirus infection, even with an asymptomatic course, is associated with serious loads for all vital organs. They take time to recover. The rehabilitation period depends on the course and severity of the disease itself, the presence of complications. With a question about planning a pregnancy, you need to contact a specialist, he will select the necessary set of examinations and give specific recommendations.
About vaccination
Women planning a pregnancy should not give up their coronavirus immunization. Based on the available scientific data on the effect of vaccines on reproductive capacity, it can be concluded that none of the registered drugs for COVID-19 poses a danger to the expectant mother or fetus. Moreover, in case of infection with coronavirus, pregnancy is difficult, so it is important to take care of protection against infection. First of all, this concerns patients from the risk group: people with obesity, chronic lung diseases, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases and oncology, chronic kidney disease, liver pathologies. Since pregnancy planning is an individual matter, there are no strict recommendations on the timing of immunization before conception. But in order to avoid complications, it is necessary to consult with an obstetrician-gynecologist about the possibility of vaccination.
If a woman was immunized without knowing that the pregnancy has already occurred, this should also be reported to the doctor. To eliminate the risks and prevent the development of possible complications, the specialist must have complete information about the patient’s condition.