You are here

Is it possible for a woman with COVID-19 in late pregnancy to transmit the infection to her unborn fetus?

No, it is not. To date, there have been no confirmed cases of an infected mother giving birth to a baby with congenital coronavirus. The coronavirus has not been found in postnatal material either. This virus is different from the recent epidemics: H1N1 influenza 2009, or Zika virus, both of which caused severe illness in women and newborns.

Could hospital visits for standard prenatal procedures and care be minimized?

The prenatal care schedule should remain the same as it was before the epidemic. However, physicians may use an alternative to face-to face visits and replace some scheduled hospital visits with online contacts, such as telephone or video chat care if the patient's condition allows it.

Which scheduled visits could be performed remotely? 

Only a doctor can determine which visit can be performed remotely taking into account your condition and all the risks.

Only some of the eight scheduled visits could be performed remotely: in the 20th, 26th, 34th and 38th weeks of pregnancy.

The doctor is going to examine me by phone. How should I prepare?

During a remote appointment, your doctor will ask many questions that will be very important to assess your condition. Take your time and answer all the questions as accurately as possible; be sure to talk about all the problems you are concerned about. It would be better to write down the information your doctor will give you about your pregnancy and upcoming delivery. Be sure to discuss with your family the possibility of emergency hospitalization if you go into labor or in case of complications, and inform your doctor about it.