Guidelines issued for pregnant women during COVID-19 pandemic

Muscat: Oman’s Ministry of Health (MOH) has issued guidelines for pregnant women to follow to boost their immunity against COVID-19.
Little is known about the impact of the virus on the health of pregnant women in particular, and her foetus in general. Therefore, the Ministry of Health has stressed the importance of adhering to the preventive measures in order to reduce the chances of virus exposure and infection.
The MOH has advised pregnant women to continue regular follow up in the health institutions, where all means of protection are provided to them. They must also adhere to the known general preventive procedures to avoid virus infection, and take extra precaution when caring for the child, especially while changing diapers, as well as staying away from crowded places.
Moreover, she should go to the nearest health institution to undergo check-ups while coming across symptoms such fever, cough, sore throat or diarrhoea, which are normally associated with COVID-19
She should also eat healthy food and stay away from psychological stress. Regular visits to maternity consultants during pregnancy must also continue, so that the woman is assured of both her health and that of her child.
A number of measures have been taken to facilitate and speed up the visit of pregnant women to primary health care institutions, to reduce the time spent there. A national guideline on health and treatment procedures has been issued in collaboration with the Royal Hospital to deal with infected pregnant women.
If a pregnant woman is diagnosed with COVID-19, a specialised team will follow up and monitor her health in addition to providing her with a number to contact the health institution nearest to her, before she goes there to seek treatment and consultation.
Whether she requires home or institutional isolation will be determined according to her health and social status. While she is isolated, other healthy family members must take care of any of her remaining children. If she is under home isolation, it is necessary to follow the precautions required to avoid transmitting the infection among her family members.
In addition, the infected woman must follow up with the obstetrics and gynaecology clinic and notify the institution ahead to receive her in a manner that sees her avoid contact with other patients. If she experiences pregnancy complications (severe headache, blurred vision, swelling in the body, or vaginal bleeding), or pain during childbirth occurs, she must inform her attending doctor of the symptoms before coming to see him/her.
It is advisable for pregnant women to head to the hospitals referred to them in their respective governorates, at the time of, or ahead of delivery. Psychological support has been provided for those suffering from the anxiety associated with this pandemic, as the woman, being largely responsible for caring for her family, may need support to mitigate psychosocial stresses that affect her nutrition and make her more vulnerable to complications during pregnancy.
Therefore, she can seek out these services through the Al Masarrah hotline (24873760), or on the hotline of the ‘We are with You’ campaign, at 99359779. This service can also be provided through the social media accounts of the Whispers of Serenity clinic (@serenitymuscat).
The Ministry’s Contact Centre also has staff on standby to reply to all medical queries women might have regarding pregnancy during this time.