A baby in Texas became the first child born with COVID-19 through contraction from the mother.
Traces of the novel coronavirus were found in the placenta, leading doctors to believe the contraction of the disease came from the mother.
Anna West is the Acting CCM Supervisor in the Healthy Families division of Halton Region Public Health.
She says it’s a rare occurrence, but there’s a silver lining in the case.
West adds that there are measures put in place to test the mother prior to childbirth.
She says, as far as she knows, Halton has not had a mother test positive prior to giving birth.
West provides tips for soon-to-be parents who may find themselves in this situation.
Couples dealing with pregnancy are advised to follow the same public health guidelines as everyone else.
That includes physical distancing, staying home whenever possible, as well as maintaining proper hand hygiene.
The Halton Health Department is offering support.
Here is a link to lots of free support programs available online.
You can also speak with a public health nurse by emailing haltonparents@halton.ca or by calling 3-1-1.
Get in touch with Halton Parents on Facebook and Twitter.
Both the mother and baby girl in Texas recovered from COVID-19 and have been sent home.
