In light of difficult situations like the one we are presently living in, the Ministry of Public Health issues some recommendations for care during pregnancy. We also encourage the use of condoms to avoid ZIKA and other sexually transmitted diseases.
An important factor to transmit to women who feel concerned is that, “there has been no description of the virus transmission from mother to child (vertical transmission), and neither through maternal milk. Social distancing is the rule”, expressed by Patricia Veiluva, Director of Ministry Health Programs. Also emphasizing that all pregnant women and their partners should take the same precaution measures as everybody else to avoid the infection by COVID-19.
Has the present sanitary emergency affected prenatal care in hospitals?
They should not be affected, since they are essential services which cannot go a miss, there may have been some deficiencies initially, however there should be no lack of services.
In Paraguay have there been no registered cases of pregnant women with COVID-19?
To date, there are no cases of coronavirus among pregnant women, there where two suspected cases which were negative.
What are the recommendations for pregnant women at this moment?
We urge prenatal control to be spaced out as much as possible, and that each consultancy be good quality in order to reduce unnecessary visits, except in cases of patients with risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes or any other maternal condition in which the doctor considers it necessary for more frequent visits. The ideal is to limit to four prenatal visits.
If risk factors are identified, they should attend the consultancy proposed by the health professional. When attending the health service, all precautions must be taken, communicating to the health professionals if the patient had or has any symptoms such as a fever, cough, difficulty breathing or feeling flu-like symptoms, in order to be channelled to the respiratory diseases service. We urge the patient to go to the health centre alone, not accompanied so as to minimize accumulation of people in the corridors and also to take advantage of the visit in the most efficient manner and take all the necessary studies.
As with the general population, the message is to comply with the social isolation, measures of social distancing are indispensable. If it is necessary to go out keep a distance with other people, wash your hands, use alcohol gel and avoid agglomerations.