Mumbai Hospital Carries Out Deliveries Of 1,001 Covid Infected Moms Amid Pandemic

A civic body-run hospital in Mumbai has successfully delivered babies of 1,001 COVID-19 patients amid the pandemic, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation said on Tuesday.

B Y L Nair Hospital was declared as a dedicated COVID-19 hospital in April 2020. It first delivered the baby of a COVID patient on April 14, last year. Since then, it has facilitated the birth of 1,001 infants, including a set of triplets and 19 pairs of twins. Out of the total deliveries, while 599 were normal births, 402 were caesarean deliveries, The New Indian Express reported.

"The COVID-19 infection is not congenital. Even if the mother is infected with coronavirus, the baby does not get the infection. However, it can be transmitted through contact with the mother after birth," said Dr Sushma Malik of the Nair Hospital.

As per the COVID-19 safety protocol, newborns are administered a COVID-19 test if their mothers are infected. Over the last year, several newborns had tested positive, but they had no symptoms. However, they were discharged from the hospital only after they tested negative, according to a press release released by the civic body. It also said that scientific documentation about the safe delivery of such a high number of infected mothers at the hospital was in progress.