COVID-19 | Facebook Live Session | Pregnant Women and Nursing Mothers
April 6, 2020
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The Aga Khan University Hospital hosted a Facebook Live session to answer questions about precautions to take if pregnant or nursing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The experts who participated in this session included:
Dr. Rozina Karmaliani, Professor and Interim Dean, School of Nursing and Midwifery
Dr. Lumaan Sheikh, Associate Professor, Int Chair and Service Line Chief, Women’s Health
Dr. Shelina Bhimani, Assistant Professor, Women's Health
Dr. Nida Najmi, Assistant Professor, Women’s Health
Dr. Shazia Bashir, Senior Medical Officer, Peadiatrics
Zohra Kurji, Assistant Professor, School of Nursing and Midwifery
Ms. Marina Baig, Senior Instructor, School of Nursing and Midwifery
Dr. Lumaan Sheikh was the first to answer a frequently asked question regarding the safety of delivery in a hospital where COVID-19 patients were admitted or visiting the hospital for an appointment. She said, “This is the most important thing to understand that during a pregnancy, checkups are incredibly important, you can’t miss your checkups and then come for a delivery at the end.”
She further explained how AKUH had spaced out checkups for women in their first and second trimesters; however, women in their last trimester needed regular visits with the doctor for physical examination.
Dr. Nida Najmi was asked about pregnant healthcare workers practicing. She said they could still practice but it is advisable to request duties away from COVID-19 patients. Dr. Rozina Karmaliani further stated how important it for organizations to take care of their staff, especially those dealing with COVID-19 patients. Ms. Marina Baig added how it is necessary to adopt personal protection equipment during this pandemic, especially for patients who may be asymptomatic.
The panel also discussed how AKUH had moved its vaccinations to the Main Pharmacy, away from the COVID-19 screening area and emphasized the importance of not missing your child’s vaccinations. Adding to this, Zuhra Kurji also discussed how important it is for babies to rely on their mother’s feed, especially for the first 6 months of their life as many antibodies are transferred from the mother to the child. She said if mothers have COVID-19 or suspect they do, they may express milk and still safely keep their children on breastmilk.
The experts also mentioned that AKUH has dedicated isolation rooms for all COVID- 19 positive patients. In case a COVID-19 positive mother gives birth to a baby, the baby will be kept with the mother but in isolation. In case a baby has COVID-19, they will be kept in isolation in the NICU.
The panel ended the discussion on a positive note by reminding the audience to only visit a hospital if necessary, use tele-clinics facility where possible and to cherish this time with their family members in their home.
The complete video of the Facebook Live session can be viewed on:
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