Being infected with the coronavirus during pregnancy means an increased risk for the woman to become seriously ill and need intensive care.

There is also an increased risk that childbirth starts prematurely.

In addition, there have been several reports that children born to women with covid 19 have become seriously ill and even died, something that has led many countries to separate newborns from mothers with coronary heart disease immediately after childbirth. 

88 newborns examined

But the large study that Swedish researchers publish today in the prestigious medical journal JAMA clearly shows that newborns are not exposed to greater risks than others if the mother is ill with covid 19. 

- This is good news for all pregnant women and also for care, says Mikael Norman, professor of neonatal care and lead author of the study.

We have examined all children born during the pandemic in Sweden.

The children born to mothers with coronary heart disease are no more ill than other comparable children and there is no increased mortality among them. 

- In many parts of the world, including the United States, the child has been separated from the mother immediately after the birth if the mother has corona.

Our study shows that this is not necessary and that breastfeeding can be recommended even when the mother has tested positive.

The researchers examined 88,000 children born in Sweden during the corona pandemic from March 11 to January 31 this year and followed them four weeks after the birth.

Of the 88,000, 2,323 children were born to mothers who had corona during pregnancy or childbirth.

All children have been coronated during the first week n after birth.

Only 21 of the newborns had been infected with the virus, probably after giving birth.

Nine of these children needed care. 

- But that these nine children needed medical care was not due to covid 19. They were cared for for other problems, says Mikael Norman. 

No increased mortality

During the study period, a total of 103 children died during the neonatal period, seven of whom were born to mothers who tested positive for corona, but none of the deceased children carried the virus themselves. 

- We therefore feel safe with the conclusion that the virus does not increase the risk of death in newborns, says Mikael Norman. 

- We already know that corona infection in the pregnant woman increases the risk of the baby being born prematurely, but the virus itself does not seem to be dangerous for newborns.

And I do not know of any case in the whole world where a newborn child would have infected another person, says Mikael Norman.