Can COVID-19 transfer from an infected mother to her baby while she is pregnant?
A hospital in Pune has reportedly claimed to have the country’s first case of vertical transmission of the novel coronavirus, which means the virus was transferred from an infected mother to her child through the placenta.
The Sassoon General Hospital in Pune's paediatrics department head Dr Aarti Kinikar told news agency Press Trust of India that in this unique case the woman had symptoms for just a week before the delivery. The Indian Council of Medical Research has made it mandatory to test all pregnant patients for COVID-19, but Dr Kinikar says the woman’s tests were all negative.
After the child was born, the infant was tested with a swab of her nose and the umbilical cord and placenta were tested too and there the reports came as positive.
“During the investigation, it was confirmed that it was a vertical transmission. We waited for three weeks and tested the blood samples of both the mother and child for antibody response.”Dr Aarti Kinikar to PTI as reported by NDTV.
Reportedly, the baby had lesser antibodies but they were quite high in the mother.
“The baby was then kept in a separate ward. After two to three days of birth, the baby also developed strong symptoms like fever and there were signs of cytokine storm, suggesting severe inflammation.”Dr Aarti Kinikar to PTI as reported by NDTV.
A cytokine storm, as FIT had earlier reported, is an overreaction of the immune system that causes blockages and organ failures. Healthcare workers in India and abroad are noting this reaction in COVID-19 patients.
Dr Kinikar said the baby girl was kept in intensive care and she recovered after two weeks. Both the mother and child have now been discharged.
ICMR Guidelines on Vertical Transmission
On 13 April, the ICMR had said that it may be possible for pregnant mothers to pass on the virus to their newborn.
“With regard to vertical transmission (transmission from mother to baby antenatally [before birth] or intrapartum [during labour]), emerging evidence now suggests that vertical transmission is probable, although the proportion of pregnancies affected and the significance to the neonate (new born) has yet to be determined.”ICMR
Chinese researchers reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association that on 26 March a pregnant, infected woman in Wuhan delivered a positive baby girl. Since the newborn tested positive both for the virus and antibodies against it, researchers believed transition happened during pregnancy.
ICMR has suggested some precautionary guidelines to follow to protect the mother and new baby.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)