Thread by @DearPandemic

1/ Q: What do we know about #COVID19 and #pregnancy?

A: The Nerdy Girls posted on this several weeks back, but we have some updates from recent research:(jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/…)

Here are a few highlights:

2/
👶 Pregnant women are no more likely to have high disease severity than than non-pregnant adults.

🩸We don't know if #COVID__19 crosses the placenta; the few studies on antibodies in infants produced unreliable results because the antibody test results were prone to error.

3/
🤰Most newborns born to mothers with COVID-19 are negative for COVID-19.

🤱 Experts recommend feeding breast milk to infants if possible, even if the mother has COVID-19.

4/
🤷‍♀️ We don't know if #COVID increases risk of adverse effects to the neonate. There is LIMITED evidence linking COVID-19 to low birth weight, preterm birth, and low APGAR scores. But it's unclear if this is related to timing of infection (trimester) and/or disease severity

5/
Experts recommend that when someone is pregnant with Covid-19:
😷 The person in labor should wear a mask and be in an airborne isolation room.
👩‍🍼Mothers should be with newborns if medically stable and feasible; separation should be considered on a case by case basis.

6/
📝 Try not to alter your delivery plan, but special consideration should be given to medications for pain relief, preterm birth, and sedation that can decrease respiratory drive (which could worsen COVID-19 symptoms).

7/
🧼 Mothers who #breastfeed should wear a mask and perform good hand and breast hygiene (soap and water while singing happy birthday two times) before each feeding.
🩺 Newborns should be tested for COVID-19 if the mother has confirmed or suspected COVID-19.

8/ The upshot: We haven't seen adverse outcomes for mothers and babies, like those we can see for influenza.

We are still collecting data to better understand disease severity, transmission, and long term outcomes for mother and infant.

9/
For updated guidance on pregnancy, we turn to a few more trusted resources
@acog: acog.org/patient-resour…
@MotherToBaby: mothertobaby.org/fact-sheets/co…
@Harvard: health.harvard.edu/blog/pregnant-…

10/ All experts recommend continuing prenatal care in accordance with your provider’s clinical guidance. Birth in a facility (birth center or hospital) is still safer than a home birth during this time. 🏥

11/ Finally, if you are considering pregnancy, make your choice based on the risks/benefits and what is right for you. If you have the option, you may consider delaying pregnancy. However, this is ultimately a personal decision.