COVID-19 and Maternal Health April 3, 2020

UPDATE ON COVID-19 & MATERNAL HEALTH

April 3, 2020

MMHLA'S NEW CORONAVIRUS WEBPAGE

MMHLA's CORONAVIRUS webpage is a one-stop shop for information about COVID-19

and its impact on maternal health and maternal mental health. Topics include:

Support for people in labor
Scientific articles about COVID-19 and pregnancy / postpartum
Good coronavirus "hubs" from organizations such as ACOG, AAP, CDC, DEA, March of Dimes, and SMFM
Information for those experiencing mental health complications during COVID-19

TWO STUDIES RELATED TO COVID-19 AND PREGNANCY

PRIORITY: Pregnancy Coronavirus Outcomes Registry

Researchers at the University of California at San Francisco have launched a nationwide study of pregnant or recently pregnant women who are either under investigation for or have been confirmed to have COVID-19.

MotherToBaby: COVID-19 in Pregnancy Study

MotherToBaby and OTIS (Organization of Teratology Information Specialists) have launched a study to examine the short and long-term effects of COVID-19 in pregnancy and breastfeeding.

RESEARCH ABOUT COVID-19 AND PREGNANCY

A handful of scholarly articles have been published about the impact of COVID-19 on pregnant women and their newborns. These articles show that the maternal, fetal, and neonatal outcomes of pregnant women affected in late pregnancy appear very good with NO VERTICAL TRANSMISSION (from mother to baby in utero) at this point. Here are articles by date of publication:

February 12, 2020. Clinical Characteristics and Intrauterine Vertical Transmission Potential of COVID-19 Infection in Nine Pregnant Women: A Retrospective Review of Medical Records. The Lancet. LINK TO ARTICLE
March 6, 2020. Pregnancy and Perinatal Outcomes of Women With Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pneumonia: A Preliminary Analysis. American Journal of Roentgenology. LINK TO ARTICLE
March 8, 2020. Coronavirus in Pregnancy and Delivery: Rapid Review and Expert Consensus. MedRXiv. LINK TO ARTICLE
March 12, 2020. An Analysis of 38 Pregnant Women with COVID-19, Their Newborn Infants, and Maternal-Fetal Transmission of SARS-CoV-2: Maternal Coronavirus Infections and Pregnancy Outcomes. Archives of Pathology. LINK TO ARTICLE
March 16, 2020. Infants Born to Mothers With a New Coronavirus (COVID-19). Frontiers in Pediatrics. LINK TO ARTICLE
March 24, 2020. Clinical Features and Obstetric and Neonatal Outcomes of Pregnant Patients With COVID-19 in Wuhan, China: A Retrospective, Single-Centre, Descriptive Study. Lancet Infectious Disease. LINK TO ARTICLE
March 26, 2020. Neonatal Early-Onset Infection With SARS-CoV-2 in 33 Neonates Born to Mothers With COVID-19 in Wuhan, China. JAMA Pediatrics. LINK TO ARTICLE

RESOURCES FOR SUPPORTING MENTAL HEALTH

DURING CORONAVIRUS

While it is natural to be anxious during this time, those with underlying mental health issues might need additional support and resources. According to Mental Health America, people whose mental health is compromised are at greater risk of experiencing worsening mental illness as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. These websites have good information about managing mental health issues during these stressful days:

American Psychiatric Association: Working Remotely During COVID-19 . AAP has great tips and strategies for managing mental health and well-being.

Beyond Blue: Looking After Your Mental Health During The Coronavirus Outbreak. This website from Australia offers great well-being advice, including maintaining perspective and finding balance in relation to media coverage.

International OCD Foundation: COVID-19 & OCD . The IOCDF provides suggestions and resources for managing OCD fears and behaviors.

Mental Health America: Living With Mental Illness During COVID-19 Outbreak — Preparing For Your Wellness . MHA offers tips for creating a wellness plan with links to crisis lines and “warm” lines.

Mind For Better Mental Health: Coronavirus And Your Wellbeing. This terrific website from the UK has practical tips for staying at home while attending to health and well-being.

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): COVID-19 Resource and Information Guide. NAMI’s comprehensive guide includes info in a user-friendly Q&A format.

On Our Sleeves from Nationwide Children’s Hospital: Behavioral Health Resources for Coronavirus. This website has expert resources and guides for parents with young children, including how to talk to children about the pandemic, working from home, and keeping children busy and connected.

RESOURCES FOR SUPPORTING MENTAL HEALTH OF PREGNANT WOMEN AND NEW MOTHERS DURING CORONAVIRUS

One silver lining in the COVID-19 cloud is that many restrictions on telehealth – particularly teletherapy and telepsychiatry – have been lifted. Many providers and support groups have quickly pivoted to offer meetings and therapy online. Here are some notable resources for women who are pregnant or new moms struggling with anxiety or depression:

Postpartum Support International offers daily on-line support group s, links to local resources in all 50 states, and an online provider directory .

The Bloom Foundation hosts virtual support groups.

The March of Dimes has launched a webinar series entitled “Healthy Moms, Strong Babies.” The first episode focused on maternal-infant health in the coronavirus pandemic. MMHLA's Executive Director Adrienne Griffen and MMHLA Board Member Dr. Pooja Lakshmin will be featured on next week's webinar (Thursday, April 9, at 4 pm EST), talking about supporting the mental health of pregnant women and new mothers during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Motherhood Collective hosted a terrific conversation with pediatrician and mother Dr. Rachel Gagan, who shares a positive perspective on restricting visitors while at home with a newborn.

The Conversation -- an online magazine -- has a good article about managing postpartum depression while isolated at home with a new baby.

Working with Policy Makers to Address Maternal Mental Health Challenges

dedicated to promoting the mental health of childbearing women in the United States

by advocating for universal education, screening, referral, and treatment

of postpartum depression and related maternal mental health (MMH) challenges.

Our vision is that all childbearing women in the United States will be educated about and screened for maternal mental health challenges and have access to resources for recovery.