Coronavirus in pregnant women: Infection with COVID-19 during pregnancy can affect not only the health of the mother, but also the development of the child, according to obstetricians and gynecologists. So, the coronavirus can affect the slowing of fetal growth, provoke incorrect laying of its vital organs, and also lead to prematurity of the child.
Is coronavirus dangerous for pregnant women?
If a woman has contracted a coronavirus infection in the second trimester of pregnancy, this can lead to a slowdown in the development of the fetus.
At the same time, there is a possibility that the effect of CAVID-19 on the child will continue after the recovery of the expectant mother, the expert believes. “So, in the first trimester, a virus carried by a pregnant woman can affect the growth of the fetus, and in the second — cause a slowdown in the development of the child,” the doctor said.
According to her, such consequences are associated with respiratory failure – in a woman in the late stages of pregnancy, the stomach presses on the lungs, thus reducing their volume.
In addition, the coronavirus also affects red blood cells (red blood cells that supply the body with oxygen).
“Red blood cells lose the ability to carry oxygen, respectively, the fetus begins to experience oxygen starvation, so automatically slows down and its growth and development»
Coronavirus in pregnant women: facts
Experts believe that only patients who have COVID-19 in moderate to severe forms, and it is during the second or third trimester, should be afraid.
According to the doctor, with this course of the disease, the fetus may be so short of oxygen that doctors — in order to alleviate the condition of the child — often resort to terminating the pregnancy by caesarean section.
In this case, the woman herself often suffers from the inability to breathe, so this operation is also carried out in order to save the life of the woman in labor, Marian Knight, a professor at Oxford University in the UK, previously told the BBC.
Ed Mullins, a British gynecologist at the Queen Charlotte and Chelsea Hospital, also stated that when the fetus develops distress syndrome, childbirth is accelerated artificially. “This is done in order to provide more effective treatment for low oxygen levels in a woman,” the medic explained.
Transmission of the virus
As for the transmission of coronavirus from mother to child in utero, such cases have not yet been recorded. “The fetus is not a direct target for COVID-19. The virus has no proven teratogenic effect (disruption of embryonic development due to external factors) on the fetus. The placental barrier is really good for him. As a rule, children are born healthy».
She added that in order to avoid serious disorders in the body of a pregnant woman and fetus, expectant mothers with coronavirus should be isolated in time and placed under medical supervision. “Remember that stress is the main danger of a successful pregnancy. Do not read unverified news, follow all hygiene measures and be positive, ” the medic said.