Pregnancy, Babies, & COVID-19

Things have certainly changed in the last eight weeks. Grocery stores are caping occupants, #socialdistancing is trending on social media, and a good 3 out of every 4 people you see out in public (and there aren’t many) are wearing face masks. 

As we are all well aware at this point, we are in the midst of a global pandemic that has impacted, well, just about every aspect of our daily lives. All of these changes are oriented around keeping people healthy and slowing the spread of the virus. 

The United States governors and medical professionals are hopeful that we will be reaching the “peak” of the coronavirus outbreak soon and will be able to start making steps toward reopening the economy and resuming our routines and activities.

However, the process of reopening our country will be a slow and gradual one. As Ohio’s Direction of Public Health, Dr. Amy Acton, pointed out in a recent COVID-19 broadcast, we will likely be dealing with this virus to some extent for at least eighteen months. 

As we continue to navigate this crazy season, as parents, our primary concern is (as always) our kids. How do we keep our babies safe a global pandemic? What are the risks during pregnancy? 

I’ve found yourself asking these questions over the last few weeks, don’t worry…we’ve got you covered. 

Coronavirus Risks During Pregnancy 

Pregnancy can be a stressful time under the best of circumstances. Throw in a global pandemic and it becomes a real doozy. 

As the virus is still so new, unfortunately there isn’t a ton of research regarding the effects of the coronavirus on pregnant women or their babies. However, the limited data that has been collected has shown little to no increased risk for pregnant women or unborn children. 

In fact, in a study that was conducted following 9 pregnant women who tested positive for coronavirus, none of these women developed a serious case of COVID-19. When their babies were delivered, none of the babies tested positive for the virus, and each was born healthy with great Apgar scores. 

Bottom line, here’s the good news…

Children and babies are at low risk of developing a serious case of COVID-19. This includes babies in-utero. 

Keeping Kids Safe From COVID-19 

Assuming your children do not have any pre-existing conditions that would compromise their immune systems, keeping your children healthy and safe from COVID-19 does not require any extraordinary measures beyond what is being recommended for, well, everyone. 

These health safety strategies include: 

• Regular Hand Washing 
• Staying Within Household Units
• Maintaining A Social Distance of 6 Feet
• Wearing Face Masks In Public (Not for children under 2)
• Clean & Disinfect Regularly Touched Surfaces Daily 

*Note: if your child does have a pre-existing condition, please consult your pediatrician for the best way to handle viral prevention) 

Covid Resources for Parents

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30360-3/fulltext