- Pregnancy: In general, COVID-19 infection during pregnancy leads to mild-to-moderate symptoms or none at all. However, pregnant individuals who also have a pre-existing health condition including obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure or who became pregnant at an older age may be at a higher risk of more severe disease. Individuals living in communities with a greater spread of COVID-19 variants may be at risk for more severe infection. While current evidence shows that COVID-19 transmission to the baby during pregnancy is rare, ongoing studies are being done.
- Breast-feeding: Current evidence suggests that COVID-19 isn't transmitted via breastmilk. That said, the decision to continue or start breast-feeding should be discussed with your health care providers. Taking precautions while breast-feeding can help to lower the overall infection risk. This includes washing your hands frequently and sterilizing any breast-feeding equipment before and after each session.
You can further reduce your infection risk by getting vaccinated against the virus. Individuals who are pregnant or breast-feeding are advised to receive mRNA COVID-19 vaccines (including booster doses), as they have been proven to be safe. For children aged 6 months or older, the Pfizer-BioNTech Comirnaty COVID-19 vaccine and the Moderna Spikevax COVID-19 vaccines are approved by Health Canada.
All material copyright MediResource Inc. 1996 – 2023. Terms and conditions of use. The contents herein are for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Source: www.medbroadcast.com/healthfeature/gethealthfeature/COVID-19-Risk-Assessment