A woman from Singapore who recently traveled to Europe has just given birth to a baby. However, the latter has antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Nevertheless, doctors assure that these same antibodies eventually disappear over time. This case study could make it possible to refine the information available on the transmission of the virus between a mother and her child.
Céline Ng-Chan is a 31-year-old Singaporean. As local newspaper The Straits explains Times in an article of November 29, 2020, the person concerned gave birth to a child with antibodies against the current coronavirus. With the help of this particular case, doctors should be able to learn more about the phenomena of transmission of the virus from mother to child.
“My pediatrician said that the antibodies I had developed against Covid-19 are gone, but my child has them. My doctor assumes I transferred my antibodies to him during pregnancy,” said Céline Ng-Chan in particular.
After a trip to Europe, the mother tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in her tenth week of pregnancy. With mild feverish symptoms, she stayed in hospital for two and a half weeks. Her husband and father had accompanied her on this trip but both escaped infection.
Remember that the World Health Organization (WHO) does not really know whether or not a pregnant woman infected with the coronavirus can transmit it to her child. Cases of this kind can be counted on the fingers of one hand. You should also know that never traces of active virus were officially found in samples of amniotic fluid and breast milk. It should also be remembered that pregnant women who have contracted the virus and have since recovered are not obliged to take a test in the case of an asymptomatic and healthy baby.
In July 2020, an Italian study concluded that pregnant women positive for SARS-CoV-2 could transmit the virus to their child. Researchers say they found specific antibodies in the placenta, the umbilical cord or even the breast milk of several women in the sample (out of a total of 31). Nevertheless, this was a pre-release awaiting verification by peers.
Finally, doctors in Singapore believe that the antibodies that newborn babies develop against the coronavirus do not last forever. The latter indeed disappear over time, for a period of time still unknown.
