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SINGAPORE – A “dramatic” pregnancy triggered by Covid-19 when pregnant ended in tears of joy when 31-year-old Celine Ng-Chan gave birth to her second child earlier this month.
To the relief of the private guardian, her son, Aldrin, was not only born free of Covid-19, but he even has antibodies to the virus, according to his pediatrician.
Ms Ng-Chan is one of the few women in Singapore who were infected with the coronavirus during their pregnancies and who have given birth so far.
She said: “It’s very interesting. Her pediatrician said my Covid-19 antibodies are gone but Aldrin has Covid-19 antibodies.
“My doctor suspects that I have transferred my Covid-19 antibodies to her during my pregnancy.”
The Sunday Times understands that Aldrin’s antibodies suggest that he has immunity to the virus.
Weighing 3.5 kg at birth, she was born on November 7 at the National University Hospital (NUH) and looked exactly like her older sister, Aldrina, 2, at the time of her birth, added Ms. Ng-Chan.
“I’ve always wanted a boy because I resonate so well with children, as I have three younger siblings in my family,” he said.
Ms. Ng-Chan said her pregnancy was dramatic, as she, her mother, and her daughter contracted Covid-19 after returning from a family vacation to Europe in March. Her husband and father, who were also on the trip, escaped the infection.
Ms. Ng-Chan’s mother, Madam Choy Wai Chee, 58, was close to death.
The office manager was hospitalized for four months and spent 29 days on a life support machine.
Ms. Ng-Chan and Aldrina were only mildly ill and were released from the hospital after 2.5 weeks.
When she was diagnosed with Covid-19, Ms. Ng-Chan was 10 weeks pregnant.
She said: “I was not worried about Aldrin contracting Covid-19 when I read that the risk of transmission (from mother to fetus) is very low.”
He was also aware of another couple, Natasha and Pele Ling, who were expecting their first child when they both fell ill with Covid-19 in March.
Ms Ling, a 29-year-old speech and language therapist, tested positive for the coronavirus in her 36th week of pregnancy in March.
She gave birth to Boaz on April 26 at NUH. Baby Boaz was possibly the first baby born in Singapore with Covid-19 antibodies.
It is not known how many babies in Singapore have been born to women who had Covid-19 while pregnant.
KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) obstetrics and gynecology division chair associate professor Tan Hak Koon told The Straits Times that the number of pregnant women infected with Covid-19 under the hospital’s care is “very low”, and none have yet given birth.
Professor Tan said guidelines released by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in the UK in October said current evidence suggests that transmission of Covid-19 from a pregnant woman to her baby during pregnancy or delivery is low. common.
Current evidence also shows that if the newborn contracts Covid-19 from its mother, it is not affected by the mode of delivery, the choice of feeding, such as breast or bottle feeding, or whether the mother and baby remained in the same room after delivery.
At NUH, a spokesperson said that babies born to women who have recovered from Covid-19 are comprehensively evaluated by a team of doctors.
In general, invasive tests for Covid-19 would not be necessary in a healthy asymptomatic baby if the mother had had Covid-19 earlier in her pregnancy and had made a full recovery and subsequently tested negative for Covid-19, like Ms. Ng -Chan.
Without specifying numbers, the spokesperson added that maternal and umbilical cord blood is processed using the standard polymerase chain reaction, and so far all mother-newborn pairs have tested negative.
Ms. Ng-Chan said that she was filled with joy and gratitude for the new addition to her family.
“My pregnancy and my birth went smoothly even though I was diagnosed with Covid-19 in my first trimester, which is the most unstable stage of pregnancy. I am very blessed to have Aldrin and he came out very healthy,” she said.
“I am relieved that my Covid-19 journey is finally over.”
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