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What pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and parents should know about COVID-19

Learn the essential tips to prevent COVID-19

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected thousands of people worldwide including in Sri Lanka. As parents or mums-to-be, it’s natural to be worried about this virus. However, by arming yourself with knowledge about COVID-19 – whether you are pregnant, or a parent including breastfeeding mums – you can better manage or prevent any anxiety you might experience due to the spread of this illness.

What are coronaviruses? What is COVID-19?

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses. Usually, when they infect people, they only cause mild illness, like the common cold. But sometimes, they can result in more severe illness, such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV). And of course, now we have the novel coronavirus (or, a new strain of the virus) – COVID-19.

Due to its fast worldwide spread, the World Health Organization (WHO) has described COVID-19 as a pandemic. Keep in mind that this is not an indication that the disease got deadlier, rather, it refers to its geographical spread.

How is COVID-19 spread?

The virus is spread through direct contact of an infected person’s respiratory droplets (through sneezing or coughing). It can also be transmitted if you touch surfaces that are contaminated with the virus. While the virus can last on some surfaces for a few hours, disinfectants can kill it.

COVID-19 symptoms

Symptoms include,

Fever
Cough
Sore throat
Shortness of breath

How to prevent getting COVID-19?

Frequent, correct handwashing is one of the most effective ways of destroying the virus. Good respiratory hygiene (sneezing/coughing into your elbow or a tissue and throwing the tissue away) can also help prevent the spread of the disease.

While you should avoid social gatherings during this time, if you must interact with people outside of your family, please practice social distancing. This means that you should maintain a distance of at least one meter with people around you.

COVID-19 in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka’s first COVID-19 case was detected in January. Since then, more cases of the disease have been reported. At the same time, the government has taken several measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 and educate the public about prevention methods, such as social distancing and proper handwashing techniques.

Still, pregnant women and parents, including breastfeeding mums, may have certain questions on their minds in relation to COVID-19.

Pregnant women

Am I at greater risk from COVID-19?

According to the WHO, there is no evidence to say that pregnant women are at a higher risk than the general population, of getting severely ill from the virus. However, because a woman’s immune system undergoes changes during pregnancy, it is crucial that she takes good preventative measures to protect herself from illness, including COVID-19.

Will my public health midwife (PHM) still visit me during this outbreak?

Yes, your PHM will still visit you as per the schedule and National guidelines.

What about clinics? Should I still go?

According to the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services, routine antenatal clinic care will be limited to:

Newly registered pregnant women
Pregnant women who are over 32 weeks gestation
Pregnant women who are under 32 weeks gestation, but with the following conditions: diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, respiratory illness, previous or current history of pregnancy complications, including mental health issues

During these visits, you must maintain a distance of at least one meter with others around you. You will also need to limit the number of people accompanying you to the clinic, ideally to just one. When you come home, you should wash your hands properly with soap and water, shower and change your clothes as soon as possible.

What happens if I get COVID-19 while pregnant?

If you experience any symptoms of the disease, such as fever, cough or shortness of breath you must call your doctor immediately and inform your PHM/Medical Officer of Health (MOOH) without delay. From here, you will be referred to the nearest specialized institution and taken care of.

Can I pass COVID-19 to my unborn child?

There is no evidence to support this yet, says the WHO.

If I get COVID-19, must I give birth via a C-section?

No, this is not necessary unless medically required.

How can I keep myself and my baby safe during pregnancy?

Avoid public gatherings and travelling in public transport.
Always stay at home, unless you need to seek medical care.
Maintain your kick count chart at home after you pass 32 weeks of pregnancy.
Wash your hands often, with soap and water.

Breastfeeding mothers

Should I stop breastfeeding?

You should most certainly continue breastfeeding. Your breastmilk will help strengthen your baby’s immune system and protect him or her from illness in general.

If I get COVID-19, how can I feed my baby?

Your baby can still get the benefits of your milk through expressed breastmilk. However, you should sanitise your hands before touching baby bottles or any parts of the breast milk pump. Ideally, someone who is well should feed the expressed breastmilk to your baby.

Can the virus be transmitted to my baby through my breastmilk?

In limited studies on women with COVID-19 and SARS, the virus was not detected in breastmilk samples.

What preventative measures can I take?

You must wash your hands well with soap and water before breastfeeding your baby or handling the breastmilk pump.
Wear a mask when nursing your newborn baby.

Parents

Children may feel overwhelmed or anxious, especially if they are at home in a curfew situation and hearing lots of news about the virus on the news or from adults. But you can make them feel calm and safe simply by having an honest chat with them (based on their age and level of understanding) about what’s going on.

Listen and ask questions: Ask them what they already know about the virus and take the time to answer their questions. If they seem scared, reassure them that they are safe at home.
Teach proper hygiene methods: This includes washing their hands in the correct way with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and coughing/sneezing into their elbow or a tissue. They should be told to throw away the tissue. A fun way to make sure they wash their hands for long enough is to ask them to sing the “Happy Birthday” song while washing.
Watch out for signs of anxiety and stress: Some kids might be overwhelmed by the curfew or upset about the general situation related to the virus. Signs of anxiety include sudden aggression or losing his/her temper, not eating, and unexplained headaches or tummy aches. If you notice any of these signs, please call 1999 (Health Promotion Bureau) or 1926 (National Mental Health Institute) for professional advice.
Keep them busy: Being at home all the time can result in bored children. The best way to make sure you don’t hear “I’m bored!” all day long is to design a daily timetable for your child and pack it with activities. This could even include planting vegetable seeds for your own home garden.
Protect them from negativity: Whenever possible, keep your child away from the news. Instead, tell them stories of our brave front-liners including medical professionals and the armed forces, as well as positive stories around people who have got better. Try to avoid displaying your own stress and anxiety about the situation in front of your children.

Parents should also differentiate between myths and facts and share information only from a reliable source. Here are a few:

For all medical and other advice related to COVID-19, please call the 1999 hotline.