Pregnant women can pass Covid-19 to their unborn babies — new study

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The evidence that pregnant women may pass the Covid-19 virus to their unborn babies is gaining momentum, with a new Italian study confirming the vertical in utero transmission.

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According to the University of Milan's research, which was presented at the online 23rd International Aids Conference this week, placenta specimens from two women of 31 surveyed and their babies' umbilical cords showed that there was presence of the virus, which caused inflammatory response in placenta and plasma.Lead researcher Claudio Fenizia who presented the results of the study on Thursday, said though the results are preliminary, they did prove vertical transmission.

The study, which was carried out across three hospitals in Northern Italy, follows research done by the University of California which suggested that pregnant women may pass the virus to the foetus. In an editorial published last month in thethe university’s chief of paediatric infectious disease Dean Blumberg, highlighted the importance of understanding the timing and the route of infection in maternal-fetal transmission.

“There is concern that the mother's infection during pregnancy may result in transmission to the baby,” said Blumberg. In another study that was presented at the conference, Andrew Hill of Liverpool University presented promising results from a study of two hepatitis C drugs, sofosbuvir and daclatasvir — an alternative treatment for patients with severe Covid-19. Of the 66 adult patients in four Iranian hospitals who the drug combination was administered to, most had a better clinical recovery within 14 days, resulting in shorter hospital stays.

The death rate was only in 5% of the patients, but Hill said it’s not yet time to celebrate as more and larger studies were needed to confirm the results. “We believe that it’s too early to reach a verdict with this trial.”

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