UCLA OBGYN: Pregnancy and Coronavirus (COVID-19) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

We understand that you may be anxious about news of Coronavirus (COVID-19). In general, pregnant
women are at higher risk for complications from some viral respiratory infections because their immune
defenses are lowered during pregnancy.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is currently unknown if pregnant
women have a greater chance of getting sick from COVID-19 than the general public. It is also unknown
whether expecting mothers are more likely to experience serious illness as a result. Pregnant women
should take the same precautions as the general public to avoid infection and help stop the spread of
COVID-19 by taking these actions:

 Wash your hands often with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
 Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
 Cover your mouth and nose with your elbow or a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the
tissue away and then wash your hands with soap and water.
 Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
 Practice social distancing; consider staying home and limiting social interactions that are not
essential.
 Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces, such as door knows, faucets,
cabinet handles, and similar high-use surfaces.

If you are currently pregnant and under the care of a UCLA obstetrician or planning to deliver your baby
at Reagan Medical Center in Westwood or UCLA Santa Monica, the health of you and your baby is our
top priority. Given the concerns about the spread of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), UCLA Health is
implementing new guidelines. Here’s what you need to know:
Is UCLA Health prepared to care for COVID-19 patients?
We want to assure you that UCLA Health has rigorous infection-prevention protocols. Our infectious
disease specialists are highly trained and in continuous contact with local, state and federal public health
officials to closely monitor developments. The safety of our patients, staff, faculty, students, trainees,
and the general public remains our top priority.

If I am a healthy pregnant woman and do not have any symptoms of COVID-19, is it safe for me to see
my UCLA obstetrician for a regularly scheduled visit?

As you know, prenatal visits occur every four weeks in the first and second trimester, every two weeks
until 36 weeks and then weekly until birth. We usually check your blood pressure, monitor your weight
and check baby’s heart rate at every visit. Given the pandemic of COVID-19, we may modify the
schedule and reduce the frequency of these visits based on essential pregnancy testing and indicated
medical care during testing. Your provider may offer telehealth visits and limit in-person visits to
decrease the potential exposure to COVID-19. Please talk to your physician or midwife and follow their
instructions.
If I am a healthy pregnant woman and do not have any symptoms of COVID-19, is it safe for me to
deliver my baby at UCLA in Westwood or Santa Monica?

Yes. Given UCLA Health’s rigorous infection-prevention protocols, we believe that it is very safe for you
to deliver your baby at UCLA-affiliated hospitals.

What should I do if I am pregnant and have confirmed, probable, or suspected COVID-19 and need to
see my obstetrician?
Based on the CDC recommendations, please do not come to Labor and Delivery, the hospital, or the
outpatient clinic setting without calling your provider first to determine if a face-to-face evaluation is
needed. Other alternatives may be available.

What happens if I am pregnant and have confirmed, probable, or suspected COVID-19 and need to be
admitted to UCLA Westwood or UCLA Santa Monica?

Any patient with fever and respiratory symptoms, regardless of travel history, will be provided a mask to
wear, be placed in their own room promptly, and evaluated by essential health care providers wearing
appropriate personal protective equipment. Throughout labor and delivery, you will be asked to wear a
surgical mask at the time of delivery to decrease potential exposure of the newborn, healthcare
personnel, and other labor and delivery patients to infection. To limit possible exposures, only one adult
companion – spouse, partner, doula, etc. – will be allowed. For more information about the companion
policy, please see: https://www.uclahealth.org/coronavirus

If I am admitted to UCLA Westwood or UCLA Santa Monica for delivery or other pregnancy related
reasons, can I have visitors?
Visitors in Labor and Delivery are limited to one support partner. Healthy visitors will be educated to
clean hands with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer before and after touching the patient
or the newborn. Nurses will screen all visitors for signs/symptoms of fever and respiratory illness. A
visitor with febrile respiratory symptoms will not be allowed to visit the mother or the infant(s).

What happens to me and my baby after delivery?

If you have confirmed or probable COVID-19, you will likely be moved during the postpartum period to a
negative pressure room to prevent potential spread of infection. If you have suspected COVID-19, you
will be in a routine postpartum room with the door closed. Transmission of COVID-19 after birth via
contact with infectious respiratory secretions remains a concern, but this is based on limited data. It is
unknown whether newborns with COVID-19 are at increased risk for severe complications, therefore the
risks and benefits of temporary separation of you and your baby should be discussed with your
healthcare team.

If I have confirmed, probable, or suspected COVID-19, can I breastfeed my baby?

Breast milk is the best source of nutrition for most infants. However, according to the CDC, little is
known about COVID-19. Whether and how to start or continue breastfeeding should be determined by
you in coordination with your family and healthcare providers. If you are temporarily separated from
your baby and intend to breastfeed, we encourage you to express your breast milk to establish and
maintain milk supply. A dedicated breast pump will be provided. Prior to expressing breast milk, you
should practice hand hygiene. If possible, consider having a healthy person feed the expressed breast
milk to your baby. If you and your newborn baby are rooming-in and you wish to feed your baby at the
breast, you will be asked to wear a new surgical mask and practice hand hygiene before each feeding.

In limited recent case series of infants born to mothers with COVID-19 published in the peer-reviewed
literature, the virus was not detected in samples of amniotic fluid or breast milk.

Are pregnant women with COVID-19 infection at increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes?
We do not have information on adverse pregnancy outcomes in pregnant women with COVID-19.
However, pregnancy loss, including miscarriage and stillbirth, has been observed in cases of infection
with other coronaviruses [SARS and MERS] during pregnancy. In general, high fevers during the first
trimester of pregnancy can increase the risk of certain birth defects. At this time, there is no information
on long-term health effects on infants either with COVID-19 or those exposed to the virus that causes
COVID-19 in utero. In general, prematurity and low birth weight are associated with adverse long-term
health effects.

Can pregnant women pass the virus to their baby during pregnancy and delivery?

The virus that causes COVID-19 is thought to spread mainly by close contact with an infected person
through respiratory droplets. Whether a pregnant woman with COVID-19 can transmit the virus that
causes COVID-19 to her fetus or newborn by other routes of vertical transmission, aka mother-to-child,
before, during, or after delivery is unknown. However, in limited recent case series of infants born to
mothers with COVID-19 published in the peer-reviewed literature, none of the infants have tested
positive for the virus that causes COVID-19.

For the most up-to-date information, please visit uclahealth.org/coronavirus or you can call the UCLA
Health patient hotline at 310-267-3300.

Thank you for choosing UCLA Health for your health care needs. We are committed to protecting your
safety while maintaining high-quality care at our hospitals in Westwood and Santa Monica and our
clinics across the region.