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.
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.
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.
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