Antenatal Care in Pandemic and Managing Pregnancy with COVID-19

Abstract

Limited data were available for managing a pregnant woman developing COVID-19 infection as the pandemic gripped the world Presumptive information for guiding the management of pregnancy and COVID-19-infected women came from various bodies, such as Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), which were updated from time to time as more information was built up, publications came from China, US, and UK as pregnant women with COVID-19 got admitted with infection Indian Council of Medical Research also prepared guidelines for India based on the publications of international agencies The obstetrician should have protocols to manage women who are pregnant, individualizing risk stratification of each woman, management of person who is under investigation (PUI) or the suspect for COVID-19, and management protocol for confirmed case of COVID-19 infection, with adequate preparation to face the situation and training of all healthcare workers It appears that pregnant women are not at increased risk to develop the viral infection and only 5% will have severe pneumonia If infected most would have mild disease and the pregnancy will not impact the overall outcome of the illness The incidence of cesarean section is reported higher in women delivered with COVID-19 Vertical transmission to the baby is controversial and women may be advised to breast feed