Babies born to Covid-19 patients have antibodies & pregnant women don’t suffer more, Singapore study finds

A new study has found that pregnant women were no more likely to experience worse Covid-19 symptoms and that babies born to mothers infected with the virus have antibodies.

The small study of 16 pregnant women, released on Friday by the Singapore Obstetrics and Gynaecology Research Network, found no evidence that the coronavirus can be transmitted between mother and baby. 

Another positive finding was that of the five babies delivered before the study was published, all of them were born with Covid-19 antibodies. Although researchers were unsure what level of protection this would offer them against the virus. 

The study also found that the coronavirus was no more harmful to pregnant women than anyone in the wider population.  

“The study results were reassuring,” the Singapore Obstetrics and Gynaecology Research Network said in a statement. 

“This demonstrates that the incidence and severity of Covid-19 among pregnant women parallels general population trends.” 

None of the women died from the virus and all made complete recoveries. 

However, two of the women lost their babies, and the researchers said that one of the cases may have been as a result of Covid-19 complications. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) states that pregnant women can be badly affected by respiratory infections, like coronaviruses, and advises that precautions are taken. 

The WHO adds that there is no evidence that Covid-19 can be transmitted from the mother to her baby, a finding reinforced by the Singapore study. 

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