UPDATED! Key Messages for Pregnant Women during the COVID-19 Pandemic

We understand that the current state of the world is very confusing and stressful. COVID-19 is a newer virus and we are still trying to determine how it affects the human body both initially and long-term. If you are pregnant, we also understand that might cause increased anxiety about all of the unknowns. Please keep the following in mind:

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  • Pregnant women with SARS-CoV-2 infection are at increased risk for severe illness compared with nonpregnant women. Adverse pregnancy outcomes such as preterm birth and pregnancy loss have been reported.
  
  
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  • Among 3,912 infants with known gestational age born to women with SARS-CoV-2 infection, 12.9% were preterm (<37 weeks), higher than a national estimate of 10.2%. Among 610 (21.3%) infants with testing results, 2.6% had positive SARS-CoV-2 results, primarily those born to women with infection at delivery.
  
  
• • Prevention measures are the same for pregnant women as they are for other people: wash hands often, avoid touching eyes/nose/mouth, avoid close contact with people who are sick, wipe down high-touch surfaces often, and practice social distancing. Contact your healthcare provider right away if you have symptoms such as fever with cough, fatigue or shortness of breath.
  
  
• • Online resources, such as MotherToBaby have evidence-based, up-to-date resources at mothertobaby.org (specifically, Fact Sheet https://mothertobaby.org/fact-sheets/covid-19/ and Podcast http://mothertobabypodcast.libsyn.com/covid-19-in-pregnancy-breastfeeding)
  
  

Also, please refer to the CDC for additional information and updates and THIS article for sources.