Columbus Dispatch: COVID-19 and Pregnancy

Medical experts are continuing to research more about how COVID-19 might impact pregnant women, deliveries and their babies. For now, the most important thing expectant mothers can do is stay calm and not panic.

On April 5, Jason Melillo, MD, medical director of women’s health at OhioHealth, spoke with the Columbus Dispatch about some of the questions surrounding COVID-19 and pregnancy.

“The virus is so young that there has been little research on how it impacts pregnancies, though the small amount of research that has been done appears promising,” Dr. Melillo told Columbus Dispatch reporter Danae King. “But the virus doesn't seem to affect pregnant women any more harshly than other healthy individuals.”

In the meantime, Dr. Melillo recommends limiting in-person prenatal care to visits that are absolutely needed and doing others visits through telemedicine to limit contact and potential exposure to the virus. He also notes that hospitals are taking every precaution to make sure patients are safe.

At OhioHealth hospitals, pregnant women are limited to one healthy visitor for the delivery, and the babies now stay in patient rooms with their mothers instead of going to the nursery for tests.

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