Can a pregnant woman transmit the coronavirus to her fetus?
It is possible, but it seems to be relatively rare and scientists think they know why.
Many viruses can cross the placenta and infect the fetus in utero, and there is increasing evidence that the coronavirus can also do so.
Researchers in Italy studied 31 women with COVID-19 who gave birth in March and April and found signs of the virus in various blood samples from the umbilical cord, the placenta and, in one case, breast milk. But this type of test can only detect fragments of genetic material; It does not mean that there is a virus capable of causing infection in these places.
In one case, there was strong evidence to suggest that the newborn had the virus at birth because signs were found in the umbilical cord blood and the placenta. In another, a newborn had certain antibodies against the coronavirus that cannot cross the placenta, so they could not come from the mother.
A report from France gave even stronger evidence of infection in the womb, and that newborn was very ill at birth.
Meanwhile, the investigation Directed by the National Institutes of Health gives one possible reason why fetuses do not become infected more frequently: Cells in the placenta rarely produce the two tools that the coronavirus typically uses to enter. In contrast, they found much of what Zika and other viruses use.
Most of the research so far has been on women who were in the later stages of pregnancy when they contracted the virus; More research is needed on what happens if the infection occurs earlier in pregnancy.
The advice for pregnant women remains the same: wear a mask in public, wash your hands frequently, and stay at least 6 feet away from other people to avoid infection.
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The AP is answering your questions about the coronavirus in this series.. Send them to: [email protected].
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