Covid-19 positive woman gives birth to virus-free child in Pune

The male child was born through a C-section, and mother and child, are both in a stable condition, the hospital said

An infant born on Saturday to a Covid-19 positive woman in Pune has tested negative for the virus, the Sassoon General Hospital,, where the baby was born, said in a statement on Sunday.

BJ Medical College's molecular lab prepares for coronavirus testing at Sassoon hospital in Pune. The baby weighs 3.5kg and is currently separated from the mother and under special care. (Pratham Gokhale/HT Photo)

The male child was born through a C-section, and mother and child, are both in a stable condition, the hospital said.

The baby weighs 3.5kg and is currently separated from the mother and under special care.

The woman, aged 25, lives in Khadki and is under isolation because of her Covid status.

A doctor from the hospital, requesting anonymity, said, “The child’s swab test results came back late on Saturday night and we are taking special precautions to ensure that the child remains uninfected. We may take a second swab test after a few days. The child is being fed by extracting breast milk, to avoid any contact with the mother who is a positive patient. The mother was admitted to the hospital on April 16 and the delivery took place on April 18.”

According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, USA, mother-to-child transmission of the Covid-19 infection during pregnancy is unlikely, but after birth, a newborn is susceptible to person-to-person infection. The Sars-Cov-2 virus, which causes Covid-19, has not been detected in amniotic fluid, breast milk, or other maternal samples.

Sassoon hospital currently has five Covid-19 children, all in isolation.