And while the fear and anxiety about the Covid-19 disease can take a toll on people’s mental health irrespective of age and gender, the situation has been additionally burdensome for pregnant women. Some 20.8 per cent said that they fear about giving birth to their babies in the hospital because of Covid-19 patients visiting the facilities. Therefore, we give the same advice to pregnant women as we give to other individuals in terms of safety,” Dr Naushaba stated. In terms of managing stress, clinical psychologist Syeda Batool Najam recommended that pregnant women should try to limit excessive, unfiltered information that they might receive regarding the virus [mostly via social media] as overexposure could also increase anxiety. So far, research suggests that although pregnant women may have lower immunity, no evidence of complications or transmission to the child have been encountered in Covid-19 patients who delivered a child,” she said.

Source: The Express Tribune April 24, 2020 03:22 UTC