Bhubaneswar: Women have been advised not to force their newborns to put on masks during COVID-19 pandemic, citing possible health hazards to them.
Dr Lusi Das, a gynaecologist from SCB Medical College, Cuttack said that such unscientific practice may prove fatal in some cases and should be shunned by the mothers and members of the family. “The kids should never be forced to wear masks. It could hamper their respiration and prove fatal for them,” she said.
However, the doctor asked the new mothers to take special care to prevent mother-to-child infection. Das said that transmission of the viral disease from mothers to newborns during pregnancy is yet to be noticed.
“There are very less chances of mother-to-newborn infection of novel coronavirus. But the child can get infected when the baby is in proximity to an infected mother post delivery. However, the infection could well be thwarted if the mother takes adequate measures,” said the gynaecologist.
“This does not mean they (mothers) should not keep their newborns with them. They should keep the child with them but distance must be maintained. The infected mothers can feed the newborn but they need to do this while wearing a mask and regularly washing their hands. The work of burping of the kids should be assigned to some other members for the time period,” she maintained.
She also said that in case the child tests positive after a few days and mother is negative, the mother needs to take special care of social distancing but can take care of them.
When asked if a pregnant woman can become caregiver of a COVID positive child under home isolation, she said, “If a child is under home isolation, the pregnant women should try not to become its caregiver during the period and try to assign the work to some other members of their family.”
She also talked about special care during the last three months of a pregnancy. “The COVID positive pregnant lady during their last trimester must keep information on where they can get the deliveries done. They can get the information from ASHA workers on the same. Deliveries of COVID positive persons are being done at designated COVID Care Centre and District Headquarter Hospitals and COVID Hospitals.”