Researchers report first documented case of COVID-19 transmission in the womb
There have been several well-documented cases of female COVID-19 patients giving birth while positive for the disease. Doctors were even able tofound evidence of the novel coronavirusHowever, there had been no known examples of a baby born to a COVID-19-positive mother also testing positive for the disease – not until Friday, when researchers affiliated with the University of Texas published their findings inIn this case, the baby was born prematurely, at 34 weeks.
Although all her vital signs were normal on the day of her birth, the researchers say, she developed a fever and some mild breathing difficulty the following day. A test administered 24 hours after her birth came up positive for SARS-CoV-2, as did a second test 24 hours later. Further tests of the placenta revealed the presence of coronavirus particles and a protein that is believed to be specific to the virus. Because of these results, the researchers concluded that COVID-19 was passed on to the baby in the womb, not during or after her birth.
The researchers say this sort of transmission "appears to be a rare event" given that no other documented cases of it have come to light. The baby was given supplemental oxygen for a few days and continued to test positive through her first two weeks of life. Three weeks after she was born, she and her mother were sent home, and both are said to be in good condition.
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