COVID-19 and pregnancy: what we know so far

Pregnant women across the country are wondering how COVID-19 could affect them and their babies. They also want to know how health professionals are making sure they stay safe and healthy. To get some answers, Yahoo News spoke to Dr. Lance Bruck, Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Women’s Health at Jersey City Medical Center.

Video Transcript

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LANCE BRUCK: As of today, what we know about COVID-19 and pregnancy unfortunately is very little. We do not believe and do not have any special recommendations for women in pregnancy that are really any different than what the current CDC, state, and local authorities are telling us. My recommendation really is that social distancing. Obviously, if a family member is ill, you need to try to distance yourself as best as your home situation allows.

So, currently, at this time, we do not believe that pregnant women are at higher risk with COVID-19. It's a little different because we do know there are certain strands of influenza, SARS, and MERS where pregnant women may have been at higher risk.

So the guidelines in the healthcare system really are changing day to day. There are certain visits in pregnancy that women do need to attend to-- for their glucose screening during the third trimester of pregnancy, you know, checking with physician to monitor blood pressure, and fetal status is important. However, we are really kind of moving towards eliminating visits that are not critical.

Women who are in labor will need to come to the hospital. They will need to be admitted to the labor and delivery unit. We here at Jersey City Medical Center, we're taking all the precautions that have been outlined by the CDC. Pregnant women who are not at risk or screen at low risk for having COVID-19 will be treated as if they were coming in to have their baby. For women who may screen positive, if they have a fever, if they have a cough, if they're having difficulty breathing, they are going to be classified as a person under investigation, and they will be put in a special room to minimize exposure to the staff and to other patients.

It does not appear that the COVID-19 is transmitted to the fetus and/or the newborn. However, we certainly-- if a mom has COVID-19 and is delivering, we do want to minimize the amount of time that the newborn is exposed to the mother, particularly to respiratory secretions. We have no evidence that the virus is in breast milk. Obviously, mom should do everything possible to make sure that the milk is not contaminated by carefully cleaning their breasts before pumping, as well as wearing a mask.

So eat healthy, stay hydrated, get exercise, and really stay away from anyone in the community who may have COVID-19. You know, there really is a special connection between mom and even when the fetus is in utero. It's important to stay upbeat for both of you.