COVID-19 positive parents deliver a healthy baby at AIIMS in New Delhi

In a positive development in the national capital, a COVID-19 positive mother gave birth to a healthy baby boy in AIIMS, Delhi last night.   In fact, both the new parents had just tested positive; the father is a doctor at AIIMS in the physiology department. They have no travel history. [caption id=“attachment_7656021” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image.
Image by Pexels from Pixabay[/caption] The attending doctors said that when the mother’s report came positive, she was shifted to an isolation ward as per government regulations. The delivery required a Caesarean section, which was conducted by doctors in PPE (Personal Protective Equipment). A temporary operating theatre was improvised for the procedure and all the equipment used will be thoroughly sterilized.  

What’s next for the new family?  

The global community is concerned about pregnancies in these uncertain times, however, research so far suggests that the novel coronavirus doesn’t spread in utero, nor through breastfeeding. Pregnancy does compromise the mother’s immunity to a degree, so health officials recommend special caution for expecting mothers; going to public places is discouraged.   The family will be quarantined until they recover and test negative. Special care will be taken to ensure that all equipment, such as bottles, is thoroughly cleaned and sterilized.   As for now, the baby has not been tested for the novel coronavirus but both he and his parents are in a stable condition. The doctors haven’t yet decided if they’ll take a sample from the infant to check for the infection. Since this is relatively new territory; reports have suggested this is the first documented COVID-19 positive delivery, the family will continue to be closely monitored.   For more information, read our article on   What Pregnant Women need to know about COVID-19_._ Health articles in Firstpost are written by myUpchar.com, India’s first and biggest resource for verified medical information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to bring you information on all things health.