Coronavirus and pregnancy: Are you more likely to catch it and what it means for your baby

11 March 2020, 16:19 | Updated: 17 March 2020, 16:50

Is there an increased risk if a pregnant woman catches Coronavirus? Here is the latest expert advice.

There are now (at the time of writing) 456 confirmed cases of Coronavirus in the UK, with six people having died from the illness in this country.

Understandably, the public have been getting increasingly concerned, and many pregnant women have been left wondering if they - and their unborn baby - are at heightened risk than the general public.

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While this is a new virus that we still don't know much about, experts have claimed that there doesn't seem to be evidence of elevated risk during pregnancy.

Are pregnant women more likely to catch Coronavirus?

Pregnant women have altered immune systems and are more likely to catch flu, and there were fears that the same would apply to Covid-19 - but this doesn't seem to be the case.

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Can Coronavirus be passed onto a baby in pregnancy?

Edward Morris, president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said: “As this is a very new virus we are just beginning to learn about it, so the guidance will be kept under regular review as new evidence emerges.

“Over the coming weeks and months it is likely pregnant women in the UK will test positive for coronavirus. While the data is currently limited it is reassuring that there is no evidence that the virus can pass to a baby during pregnancy.”

Is Coronavirus worse for pregnant women?

There doesn't seem to be evidence that there are increased or more severe symptoms in pregnant women with the virus, according to latest research from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Royal College of Midwives and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.

In a World Health Organisation study conducted in Wuhan, China, where the virus originated, 147 pregnant women were studied, of whom 64 were confirmed to have Coronavirus, 82 were suspected cases and one was an asymptomatic case - only 8 per cent of these had severe symptoms, and 1 per cent was critical.

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