COVID 19 AND PREGANANCY
There is no current data that shows that COVID-19 affects pregnant women different from other patients.
As pregnant women are at a larger risk of falling from respiratory viruses than women who are not pregnant, abundance of caution is advised for pregnant women at this time.
EFFECT OF COVID 19 ON PREGNANCY
Pregnant women are NOT AT INCREASED RISK
• Women with Certain Conditions like:
– Heart Disease 
– Diabetes
– Hypertension
- Asthma
- immunocompromised conditions like HIV, SLE are at increased risk .
On account of lockdown situation and isolation, perinatal anxiety and depression may increase, and pregnant women may require additional mental health support.
Some important ways to stay healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic:
1.Avoid contact with people who are sick or who have been exposed to the virus
2.Stay home whenever you can or stay six feet away from people when you’re outdoors
3.Wash your hands with a soap-
- after exposure to any foreign objects
- After coming into contact with surfaces outside your home or items that are delivered to your home
- After going to the bathroom or after changing diapers
- Blowing your nose, sneezing, or coughing
- Before preparing and eating food
- Before breastfeeding
- Avoid touching your face with unwashed hands
Important factors to consider when pregnant
1.Nutrition:
Nutrition is a key factor for both pregnant women & babies.
5 essential items that should be included in the diet :
-FRUITS & VEGETABLES: Whichever fruits and vegs they like to eat should be taken on a daily basis
-General food items like chapati, roti and rice should there in their daily diet
-Milk & milk products like curd, chenna etc. form an important part of the pregnancy diet
-Food items that are rich in protein like fish, chicken, egg, soybean, pulses are highly recommended for a pregnant woman
-Have some dry fruits like almond, walnut etc.
-Take immune boosters regularly which include Haldi, citrus fruits, ginger, honey, etc.
2.Hygiene:
Beside Nutrition, the other important thing is staying at home.it is important to maintain hand, face and respiratory hygiene & ensure social distancing.
Hand Hygiene requires washing your hands with soap and water and then use alcohol-based hand sanitiser. It is essential not to touch your face in this vulnerable time.
Respiratory Hygiene, like coughing into your elbow not in your palm or in case you cough into a tissue you must dispose it properly and try to gurgle with lukewarm saltwater for once or twice a day, is important.
3.Special considerations:
If you have GDM, monitor your blood glucose and blood pressure thrice daily & consult with your doctor over the phone if required.
4.Take immune boosters regularly which include Haldi, citrus fruits, ginger, honey etc.
5.Lifestyle changes:
Due to hormonal imbalance, there will be huge anxiety, so do some pranayama & meditations before sleep.
Do some antenatal yoga in the early morning.
create positive environment by listening to music, watching positive vivid movie & spending quality time with family members.
Just switch off the news, use social media or phone to connect with your close ones, but disconnect from everything else going on outside.
Generally, it is known that pregnancy lowers the immunity & they are prone to other viral infection, so why not COVID-19? So, you have to be careful because of high susceptibility to several viruses which is caused due to immunosuppression associated with pregnancy.
Immediately consult your doctor if there is an emergency.
So, stay at home, eat nutritiously, be healthy.
EFFECT OF COVID 19 ON FOETUS(BABY)
- No data suggesting an increased risk of miscarriage or early pregnancy loss.
• No evidence currently of teratogenicity( abnormalities in the foetus).
- Currently not an indication for Medical Termination of Pregnancy.
- No change in antenatal care, mode of delivery or Postnatal care.
- No evidence as yet of Vertical transmission (from mother to baby antenatally or intrapartum) or during breast feeding.
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