For what should have been a blissful experience has now turned out to be a mind boggling and intrusive thought in your head? . Yes! We are discussing about pregnancy in this second wave of COVID .Pregnant women who are older or have comorbidities are at a higher risk of developing severe COVID -19.The physiological changes in hormones during pregnancy are also culprits in exacerbating the disease. According to disease control and prevention, pregnant women with COVID 19 appear more likely to develop respiratory complications requiring intensive care than women who aren’t pregnant .Pregnant women are also more likely to be placed on ventilators and require admission in ICU. Doctors are ancedotically claiming that the new variants of corona virus has been comparatively more aggressive in pregnant women regarding complications and deaths Research by the National Institute of Health Studies suggests that pregnant COVID 19 patients with severe symptoms were at an increased risk for caesarean delivery, postpartum hemorrhage, hypertensive disorders and preterm birth.
Problems faced by pregnant women include :
- Higher risk of developing severe COVID 19.
- Less frequent prenatal checkups due to high risk of exposure to infections in hospitals.
- Contraindication to CT scans.
- Unclear data regarding mother to child transfer.
- Inaccessibility to health care.
Community efforts to control the spread of COVID 19 virus might affect access to routine prenatal care.In this scenario, it is of immense importance to voice your concern regarding pregnancy .The situation is far worse in rural areas ,where poor surveillance, delayed testing and spotty access to critical care has led to a higher death toll from the virus. Antenatal and postnatal care must be regarded as essential and should be done while adhering to social distancing measures as far as possible. Whereever possible essential scans/tests and routine antenatal care must be offered within a single appointment .This is to avoid multiple journeys and visits to clinics/hospitals and will lessen the contact with other staff as much as possible helping to contain the spread of the infection to you ,your family ,other patients and staff. According to CDC ,COVID 19 is uncommon in the newborns of those mothers who had COVID 19 during pregnancy . Are you pregnant? Do you have any queries regarding your health? Do not worry!we are here to help you and together we can face this infodemic and unpredictable virus . Join our obstetrics and gynecology consultants-Dr.Betsy Thomas and Dr.Susan Thomas for clarifications and new updates.
Article by,Dr. Anjanat Anna Shaji
