Two babies born in Israel to mothers infected with COVID-19 have also been tested positive for coronavirus – at least one of the deaths from the infection, according to a report.
A 36-week-old woman lost her unborn child at Meir Medical Center in Kfar Saba on Saturday after contracting COVID-19, the Times of Israel said.
Tests showed that the fetus was also infected, but the hospital did not immediately blame the pandemic for death.
However, the probable cause of death was declared in an almost identical case last week, when a 29-year-old woman lost her child in the 25th week of pregnancy in Ashdod, the press said.
“The fetus was infected by the placenta with a high degree of certainty, [we can say] died of coronavirus, “said Dr. Tal Brosh, head of the Infectious Diseases Department at Assuta Hospital.
It was the first case of its kind reported in Israel, although others have been observed in Brazil, the report said.
“This is a rare occurrence because a baby is usually infected with coronavirus after birth as a result of contact with the mother,” said Dr. Yossi Tobin, the hospital’s maternity director.
“The fact that I was able to find out that they were already positive in the womb indicates a high probability that. [the fetus] died of coronavirus. ”
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that pregnant women be vaccinated, but mainly mentions health hazards to the mother and not to unborn children.
“People pregnant with COVID-19 may be at increased risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as premature birth,” the CDC warned.