LONDON: Cases of transmission of COVID-19 from pregnant mothers to their babies are rare and should not spark undue concern, experts said on Tuesday after a case study was published suggesting the novel coronavirus may be able to cross the placenta.
The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, described a case in France where the COVID-19-causing virus was found in the blood of a baby born prematurely to a 23-year-old mother who was diagnosed with the pandemic disease in March.The detection of the virus in placental tissue, as well as in the mother's and baby's blood, suggests that"transplacental transmission of SARS-CoV-2 may be possible," the doctors detailing the case wrote.
Marian Knight, a professor of maternal and child population health at Britain's Oxford University, said the case was interesting, but should not be a major worry for pregnant women. "Among the many thousands of babies born to mothers with SARS-CoV-2 infection, a very few have been reported to also have a positive test – around 1-2 per cent," she said."It is still unclear whether the virus passes across the placenta; this report provides evidence that it may."AdvertisementAndrew Shennan, an obstetrics professor at King's College London, agreed it is rare for unborn babies to catch COVID-19 from their mothers.
"Women can remain reassured that pregnancy is not a significant risk factor for them or their babies with COVID-19," he said.
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