A first in Gujarat: Covid positive woman delivers baby girl!

Himanshu Kaushik | TNN | Apr 22, 2020, 07:00 IST

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AHMEDABAD: It’s a baby girl! In time of corona, there was good news for a microbiologist mother-to-be who went through nail-biting apprehension as she tested Covid-19 positive just before her delivery. Both mother and daughter are stable.
The woman, a resident of Danilimda who was 38 weeks pregnant, was referred to SVP Hospital for emergency Cesarean section delivery as ultrasound examination found that the foetus had developed breathing problems.
In the Covid-19 speciality hospital at SVP, a team of specialists joined forces to deliver a baby girl weighing a healthy 3.2 kg on Monday night.
“The good news is that 30-year-old Covid-19 positive woman has given birth to a baby girl. She is set to be the first Covid-19 patient in Gujarat and seventh in the country,” said Ahmedabad municipal commissioner Vijay Nehra.
Senior gynaecologist Dr Parul Shah, the head of the department of obstetrics and gynaecology department at SVP, said that the team at SVP made the safe birth happen. “Mother and child both are asymptomatic and stable. However, as a precautionary measure, we have admitted her in NICU and sent her samples for testing for Covid-19. The results will be known on Wednesday,” said Dr Shah. “If all is well, the baby will be discharged and handed over to her father who is a paediatrician. She will be in good hands," she added.
The baby is not being fed her mother's milk as a precautionary measure, said sources. Top officials said that the microbiologist's mother had tested positive after which the doctors decided to get her tested as well.
“Corona pandemic has posed a major challenge especially for expectant mothers. However, we have proved there is hope. It was a challenging but very satisfying experience to help the society in such trying times as a doctor," said Dr Shah.