Because COVID-19 is a new disease, we’re still learning
about how it can affect pregnant people and babies. A recent research study published
in the American Journal of Clinical Pathology, found that the
coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) may damage the placenta during pregnancy.
The placenta grows in your uterus (womb) and supplies your baby
with food and oxygen through the umbilical cord. During a small research study
conducted this spring, doctors looked at the placentas of people who had given
birth. People who had COVID-19 at the time they had their babies had a higher
chance of problems with the placenta than those without COVID-19 during
delivery.
The most common problem found during the study was an issue
with blood clots and how blood flows through the placenta from mother to baby. Damaged
blood vessels and blood clots can stop or reduce the amount of oxygen and
nutrients delivered to your baby. Nutrients are parts of food, like vitamins
and minerals, that help your baby grow. Damage to the placenta during pregnancy
also can cause high blood pressure or preeclampsia.
Preeclampsia is when a pregnant woman has high blood pressure and signs that
some of her organs, like her kidneys and liver, may not be working properly.
After birth, problems with the placenta can cause life-long issues
for mothers and babies, including a higher risk of developing heart disease,
breathing problems, cerebral
palsy, or certain types of cancer. If you have problems with the placenta
in one pregnancy, you may have the same problem in future pregnancies.
The good news is that most of the women in the study had
normal pregnancies and delivered healthy babies. Because other issues can cause
problems with the placenta, more research is needed in this area.
Pregnant people with COVID-19 should be monitored closely
before, during and after they give birth. The doctors involved in the study
recommend that pregnant people continue to take
steps to protect themselves from COVID-19, including wearing masks and
staying six feet away from people that they don’t live with.
