The isolation ward where the 29-year-old mother was admitted for treatment was converted into an operation theatre and a team of 10 doctors was deputed to deal with the case. (Representational/File) The isolation ward where the 29-year-old mother was admitted for treatment was converted into an operation theatre and a team of 10 doctors was deputed to deal with the case. (Representational/File)

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, doctors at AIIMS ended their day on an upbeat note as a nine-month pregnant COVID-19 patient gave birth to a healthy baby boy Friday evening at the institute.

This is the first baby to be born from a COVID-19 positive mother in Delhi.

The woman is the wife of a senior resident doctor working in the department of physiology at AIIMS. The couple had tested positive for the virus Thursday. On Friday, the doctor’s brother also tested positive for the disease.

The isolation ward where the 29-year-old mother was admitted for treatment was converted into an operation theatre and a team of 10 doctors was deputed to deal with the case.

She is also the first pregnant woman in Delhi to be tested positive for COVID-19 and doctors said the delivery was early by a week.

“Both the mother and the baby are healthy. The baby was delivered a week early, through C-section. At present, the infant has been kept with the mother since he will require breastfeeding. So far, there is no evidence that the infection can be transmitted through breastfeeding. While the mother has tested positive for COVID-19, she is asymptomatic. We will be collecting samples of the infant too,” said a senior doctor from AIIMS.

The country’s top medical institute has already prepared a protocol on how to deal with pregnant women who have tested positive for the virus.

A 38-page document prepared by the medical institute has one page dedicated to the care of pregnant women patients.

As per the World Health Organisation, women with COVID-19 can breastfeed if they wish to do so, but with necessary precautions.

The guidelines state that women should practice respiratory hygiene during feeding; wear a mask where available; wash hands before and after touching the baby; and routinely clean and disinfect surfaces they have touched. It also says that the mother can touch and come in close contact with the newborn.

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