BMC to study newborns’ pandemic immunity

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to conduct a special study at the Kasturba Hospital to understand the factors for newborn babies not being affected with corona even though their mothers were reported corona positive.

They collected over 500 blood samples of the newborn for the study. The civic officials said the study will be done in a month and they are preparing for it.

Since the pandemic outbreak more than 800 deliveries were done across the city, of which less than 10 per cent of newborn babies were affected with the coronavirus after being delivered from the COVID positive mother.

Suresh Kakani, Additional Municipal Commissioner, said it will be the initial study which will be done in a period of a month. So far, very less number of newborns was tested COVID positive at the time of birth and was turned negative after four to five days.

“Our main motto of the study is to understand what was the factor which acted as a barrier for not transmitting the SARS-CoV-2 virus from mother to child. Following which we decided to conduct a study which helps us in future to prevent the transmission of virus," he said.