Pregnancy and covid: don’t let your guard down

Although we have seen a great decline in Covid cases, pregnant women shouldn’t let their guard down just yet. There are still cases of Covid among pregnant women. In this article, I will go over the signs that might indicate an infection, treatment protocol for pregnant women, and how to prevent contracting the virus.

Dr. Adba Fragieh | Gynecologist Obstetrician
Dr. Adba Frangieh
Published on:May 24th 2022 |Updated on:Feb 10th 2024
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Are pregnant women at a higher risk of contracting Covid?

There hasn’t been any proven indication, that a pregnant woman is at a higher risk of being infected with Covid. Or that pregnancy weakens the immune system.

Covid effect on the mother and the fetus

In a study that observed forty thousand pregnant women, where the results were compared with those of a similar sample of non-pregnant women. Results showed that a great number of pregnant women infected with the coronavirus, were more prone to severe illness, shortening of breath, hospitalization, and even admittance to the ICUs. This severe illness can occur also up to six weeks postpartum.

As for the effect of the virus on the fetus, when a pregnant woman contracts Covid she becomes more prone to:

- Miscarriage.

- Fetus death.

- Preterm labor.

Symptoms to watch for

- Fever, even a slight temperature increase.

- Headache.

- Body aches.

- Fatigue.

- Flu-like symptoms.

- Diarrhea.

Tips to prevent contracting Covid while pregnant

- Continue to practice physical distance as much as possible.

- Wear the mask all the time, preferably N95, especially while traveling.

- Change the mask every four hours.

- Hand washing.

- Getting the Covid vaccine and the booster dose.

Treatment for pregnant women infected with the Coronavirus

In most cases, treatment for a pregnant woman who has Covid is not different from the treatment of any other person. However, recent studies have proven a great success for treatment with the Monoclonal antibodies, in lowering the risk of severe illness in pregnant women. Which makes it one of the preferred treatment options.

- Prescribing supplements that help fight the infection such as Vitamin D, Vitamin C, and Zinc.

- Prescribing medication to treat the symptoms such as fever, cough, and congestion.

- In some severe cases blood thinners are given to avoid any blood clotting.

- If there is a lung infection or any other infection, we prescribe antibiotics.

It is noteworthy, that a pregnant woman must see an OBGYN, when diagnosed with Coronavirus, to follow up on the safety of the pregnancy and the baby. While respecting the safety protocols and disclosing her status to the hospital, to refer her to the Covid designated section.

Breastfeeding and Covid

There has been no indication that the Coronavirus can be passed through breast milk. So, a Covid positive mother can continue to breastfeed, while practicing caution. To avoid infecting the baby, the mother must wear a mask while breastfeeding, wash her hands thoroughly before feedings, pump the milk and assign someone else to bottle feed the baby until she fully recovers.

Check out 10 Recent Discoveries in Prenatal Care

 

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Dr. Adba Fragieh | Gynecologist Obstetrician
Dr. Adba FrangiehGynecologist Obstetrician

Dr. Frangieh is a Lebanese gynecologist/obstetrician with 25 years of experience in normal vaginal deliveries, cesarian sections, treatment of infertility, laparoscopy, and all kinds of gynecologic surgeries. Dr. Frangieh holds a degree in Medicine from the American University in Beirut, in addition to an Internship at Yale University, and training at Baltimore University.

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