Can COVID Spread Mom-to-Baby in Pregnancy?

A study of 64 pregnant women who were infected with coronavirus shows that no vertical — mom-to-baby — transmission of COVID-19 occurred with anyone in the study.

While the position of the placenta may provide fetal protection in utero, the researchers found unexpectedly low transference of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies from mother to child and no infant in the study tested positive for COVID-19, researchers said.

“This study provides some reassurance that SARS-CoV-2 infections during the third trimester are unlikely to pass through the placenta to the fetus, but more research needs to be done to confirm this finding,” said Dr. Diana W. Bianchi director of the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Researchers noted that their studies mirror previous studies that found that while intrauterine transmission is possible, it is not common.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published in August found infants two months and younger make up 20% of COVID-related hospitalizations in children 18 years and younger. Additionally, the commentary mentions that COVID-19 infections may be linked to increased likelihood of preterm births.

Originally published by Mercola.