Second wave takes the lives of 17 Covid positive women post-delivery

Bengaluru: On May 29, a 32-year-old woman passed away due to Covid just after she delivered a baby girl through C-section in the 32nd week of pregnancy. She was one of the 17 Covid positive women who died post-delivery in Bengaluru.

Luckily, nine out of the 17 babies are saved and are doing fine just like the 32-year-old’s baby. Dr Prashant URS, neonatologist, Apollo Hospital, Banerghatta Road said, “The baby tested negative for Covid-19. Vertical transmission of the viral infection from mother to baby is very rare.” The team is also taking care of the baby’s father who is admitted to ICU as he is Covid positive.

Maternal death related to Covid-19 was not prominent in the first wave. However, it jas become a new worry in the second wave. Sixteen of the 17 deaths during the second wave happened in government-run HSIS Gosha Hospital which is a dedicated Covid-19 maternity hospital.

A total of 545 women were admitted one the past two months in the Gosha hospital and 288 deliveries were conducted.

Dr Tulasi Devi, medical superintendent of HSIS Gosha Hospital said, “In the second wave, we registered 26 deaths. This figure includes 16 women who died after pre-term C-section delivery. The gestation period in the other 10 pregnant women was within 20 weeks when they succumbed to the virus. All the 26 women suffered from severe Covid pneumonia and acute breathlessness, a scenario that was not seen in the first wave.”

She clarified that not everyone who was Covid positive had complications. Dr Devi said, “Ours is the only Covid-19 maternity hospital and most of the cases we get are those referred from other places. We have also had women coming from Kunigal, Hoskote and Gauribidanur. Delayed presentations, late referrals and patients ignoring initial symptoms are all contributing factors.”

However, none of Bengaluru’s famous hospitals like Fortis La Femme and Motherhood reported such cases.

A senior gynaecologist from a city-based government hospital stated that Covid positive pregnant women, especially after 26 weeks of the gestation period, have a higher risk of blood clots as compared to those who are not pregnant.

Dr Manjula Patil, obstetrician and gynaecologist at Motherhood hospitals said, “Covid is known to cause blood clots. Pregnant women are among the high-risk groups and blood clots can damage the placenta and obstruct blood flow to the foetus, resulting in life-threatening complications for the baby as well as the mother.”

The doctor said that the government should consider adding pregnant women to the inoculation drive. She said, “If there is a pregnant woman at home, everyone around her should be cautious as the spread of infection in closed places like within a house is wider.”