After contracting Covid twice during pregnancy, 31-yr-old delivers healthy baby

She had several miscarriages earlier and is a carrier of Achondrogenesis Type 1A, which could have led to abnormalities in child

A 31-year-old woman, fighting against all odds, delivered a healthy baby at Wockhardt Hospital. The woman conceived five times in the past seven years, but suffered miscarriages. For their sixth high-risk pregnancy, she and her husband underwent several genetic tests, in which they were diagnosed as carriers of Achondrogenesis Type 1A, which could have led the baby to have short limbs, narrow chest and under-developed rib cage. Moreover, the woman also contracted Covid-19 twice during the pregnancy – first in the second month and another during the sixth month. She also suffered from Bell’s palsy.

Dr Indrani Salunkhe, the consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at Wockhardt, Mumbai Central, said, it was a complex pregnancy considering the medical history of the patient and her recurrent miscarriages. Efforts were taken to prevent pre-term labour by a timely procedure called ‘Os tightening’, which prevented her from miscarrying. Following this, she was hospitalised for safe confinement. Although the parents are carriers of Achondrogenesis, fortunately the baby is not its carrier, thus emphasising that the involvement of a genetic counsellor in such cases is crucial, the doctor said.

“To increase the baby’s weight was a challenge, too, considering she is vegetarian. A meticulous diet high in vegetarian sources of protein was given to the patient. She also received injections every week for preventing preterm pain and to improve the baby's lung maturity. At nine months, a decision was taken to deliver the baby by a caesarean section. The baby cried immediately after birth bringing a smile on everyone's face in the operation theatre,” said Dr Salunkhe.

“Thus, the medical history of the couple and prenatal check-ups play an important role to avoid complications in pregnancy. These check-ups help the doctor to advise the right kind of medication, food and guide the couple until delivery,” she concluded.