Pregnant women can transmit virus
STUDY SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A RINGING BELL: EXPERTS
Researchers found the coronavirus and antibodies against it in the umbilical cord blood, breast milk, placentas and vaginas of some pregnant infected women, another suggestion that the virus can be passed to foetuses and newborns, according to results of a study released on Thursday.
Just two of the infants in the sample examined by Italian researchers tested positive, and both quickly recovered. In one case, a baby tested negative two days later, an indication that the child was already producing antibodies against the virus in the womb, said Claudio Fenizia, an assistant professor of immunology at the University of Milan, who led the study.
Too early for conclusions
Fenizia said the review of 31 pregnant women is preliminary and was plagued by factors that make it too early to draw conclusions for use in the care of pregnant women infected by the virus. But, he said, “our study should be considered a ringing bell to raise awareness that [transmission] is possible.” He urged further research in the area.
The full study is not yet available. Previous reports on a small number of infected women in China reached similar conclusions. Diana Bianchi, director of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, said she found the results inconclusive.
A May study by Northwestern University researchers that showed damage to the blood vessels in 16 placentas is more troubling, she added. The study found insufficient blood flow from mother to foetus and blood clots in vessels of the placenta.