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If a pregnant woman becomes infected with the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) virus, it can have various effects on the fetus. Although there is little chance of vertical transmission of the virus from mother to fetus, it is because the physical condition of the pregnant woman affects the fetus.
In particular, there was an opinion that the influence of boys was greater than that of girls.
◇Inflammatory reaction of infected pregnant women, damage to the placenta… Preterm birth due to COVID-19 also affects the fetus
According to the industry on the 23rd, KHN, a non-profit medical media in the United States, reported that if a pregnant woman becomes infected with Corona 19, it may pose short-term and long-term risks to the fetus.
Fortunately, there is very little vertical transmission of the COVID-19 virus from mother to fetus through the placenta. In other words, even when a mother is infected with Corona 19, it is dangerous to be exposed to inflammation caused by the immune response that occurred in the mother rather than directly affecting the fetus.
In particular, there is a possibility that the placenta may be damaged due to the inflammatory response in the mother due to the COVID-19 virus infection, which may affect the fetus.
Jeffrey Goldstein, a professor at Northwestern University School of Medicine, recently told NBC in the US, “The placenta of pregnant women infected with Corona 19 has abnormally large blood vessels compared to the placenta of normal pregnant women, making it difficult to supply sufficient oxygen to the fetus.” “It can lead to preeclampsia, a type of severe preeclampsia.”
Preeclampsia is caused by high blood pressure caused by the failure of blood vessels in the placenta to function properly. It can cause heart attacks and strokes in mothers, and complications such as neurological symptoms, liver damage, thrombocytopenia, and renal and pulmonary edema may appear.
There are also studies showing that fever and infection during pregnancy can affect a child’s development and mental health, such as autism and depression in the future.
“Prenatal inflammation affects the way the brain develops. Depending on the time of infection, it can also affect the development of the heart or kidneys,” said Ebdocia Anagnostow, a professor of pediatric neurology at Hollandblowerview Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital.
The risk of premature birth due to COVID-19 infection is also a factor that greatly affects the health of the fetus. It is known that mothers infected with COVID-19 are 60% more likely to give birth prematurely than normal mothers. Preterm birth increases the risk of long-term disability, including infant mortality, cerebral palsy, asthma and hearing loss, as well as future depression, anxiety, heart disease and kidney disease.
The problem is that the effects on the child born may not show up for years or even decades and then appear later. “These health conditions may not appear until middle age or adulthood, but they originate in the prenatal period,” said Professor Anagnostow.
◇Boys are more vulnerable than girls… Differences in maternal antibody levels according to the sex of the fetus
There is also an opinion that boys are more affected by COVID-19 infection from their mothers than girls. “Testosterone, the male hormone, may weaken the immune response,” said Christina Adams Waldorf, a professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine.
In fact, it is known that men have a weaker immune response than women and are more likely to develop severe cases of COVID-19 infection. In addition, the proportion of children with multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C), a rare disease that children and adolescents experience after recovering from COVID-19, is also high in boys.
Conversely, the sex of the fetus may also affect the immune system of the pregnant woman. According to a study published by a research team at Massachusetts General Hospital in the United States in October, the level of COVID-19 antibodies was lower in pregnant women with sons compared to pregnant women who were pregnant with daughters.
Professor Anaknostow said, “Most fetuses are highly likely to have no health problems. However, even a small increase in the incidence of disability due to COVID-19 can have a very large impact on the entire population if the number of infected people is considered.” Vaccination of pregnant women is the best way to protect them and their unborn babies from the virus.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at least 150,000 pregnant women in the United States have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Of these, more than 25,000 were hospitalized and 249 died.
jjsung@news1.kr
