Most Babies Born to Covid-19 Moms Do Well

An OB-GYN reviews the early research and the protective role of the placenta

A mother who tested positive for Covid-19 while she was pregnant and after she delivered is isolated from her son at Doctors Hospital at Renaissance in Edinburg, Texas. Photo: Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images

Giving birth in a pandemic considerably ups the stakes of concern. Pregnant women around the world are worried they will catch Covid-19 and pass it on to their newborn baby. And we know that viral infections in pregnancy and postpartum can lead to poor outcomes in babies.

Much remains unknown about the coronavirus’s effects on pregnant women and babies, but a recent prepublished manuscript titled “Infant Outcomes Following Maternal Infection With SARS-CoV-2” demonstrates highly encouraging results.

Will COVID-19+ Moms Be Separated From Their Babies?

The new data shows that babies born to women with Covid-19 demonstrate no increase in low birth weight, difficulty breathing, apnea, or respiratory infections through the first eight weeks of life.

Based on what scientists know right now, there is no evidence indicating pregnant women are more at risk of contracting Covid-19 than the general public, but they are at a higher risk of getting sick from the virus.