Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic began, people have become more careful in their daily activities to prevent catching the dreaded coronavirus. Those people in delicate conditons, like the elderly, patients with pre-existing illnesses such as diabetes, cancer, hypertension, and heart disease, and pregnant mothers, are warned against going out of their homes as they are the ones who are most vulnerable to COVID-19. We just couldn’t afford letting them be exposed to this disease, or else there could be much worse problems down the road.
Specifically speaking, pregnant mothers are at risk of developing unwanted complications once they contracted the novel coronavirus. As the physical demands of carrying a baby in their womb and eventually delivering the baby out, the virus has the potential to weaken the mothers’ immune system. The same thing goes for their unborn baby, as they are still considered defenseless against the new pathogen that is still making the doctors puzzled.
Possible Modes Of Transmission Of The Coronavirus From Mother To Baby
The big question now pertaining to prenatal care and coronavirus is if a pregnant mother positive of COVID-19 could pass the virus to her unborn child. So far, there are many studies being conducted all over the world to identify the actual modes of transmission of the virus. The apparent findings of these studies show that the primary mode of transmission is still the droplets coming out of the COVID-19 patient’s mouth or nose. Once these droplets are inhaled by another person, then there is a high chance that the coronavirus is also passed on.
However, there is still no evidence that the coronavirus can be transmitted through other bodily fluids like blood or vaginal secretions. These things mentioned are thought to be the possible modes of transmission for the unborn baby to contract the coronavirus from the mother. While this sounds like a reasonable hypothesis for now, there has yet to be a solid case to prove it.
Things like this need thorough research before considering them as facts, like the breakdown on the meaning of 333. That is why doctors believe that the unborn baby could only catch the virus once he or she is delivered.
Upon the birth of the baby, that is when both the mother and her child must take extra precaution against the virus. Aside from avoiding close contact with other people, the mothers are advised to sanitize their hands all the time to kill any possible microbes that could infect them, particularly the coronavirus. For those who are still expecting the birth of their child, pregnant mothers are also encouraged to perform exercises as this build their body’s defense against diseases.