I am pregnant and I’ve contracted the coronavirus. Is my baby at risk?

It is possible for babies to become infected with the coronavirus during pregnancy if the mother contracts COVID-19 before the birth. But cases of this are fairly rare. Babies with signs of the illness will generally recover soon after birth.

There are also indications that in rare cases, infected mothers-to-be experience changes in their placenta, which may affect the baby’s growth.

After birth, new-born babies can become infected via droplets or aerosols (from speaking, coughing, sneezing, kissing) or through contact with surfaces or hands contaminated with the virus. But there is no evidence that new-born babies are at increased risk of developing severe COVID-19.