Pregnancy Panic During Pandemic: Stay Informed and Careful, Says Dr. Goral Gandhi

In case you're pregnant and attempting to process the everyday fire hose of news about COVID-19, you most likely have numerous inquiries. Goral Gandhi, a Clinical Embryologist, clarifies that while there's still a ton we don't know about the infection or how precisely it impacts pregnant women and their children, we consulted health experts to help clarify the most recent comprehension around coronavirus and pregnancy, and answer some frequently asked questions.

Impact of Coronavirus on fertility and pregnancy

Over the next several months, many people may be exposed to COVID-19. How many of these people will become infected remains unknown. It is known that few of these people who become infected will suffer dire consequences unless they are immune, compromised or suffer chronic medical illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes or respiratory illnesses. The people most vulnerable appear to be those over 60 years of age, especially if they have a chronic medical history.

Impact of Coronavirus on eggs

It is not known if it affects eggs. However, Dr. Goral Gandhi, the best embryologist in India, suggests that initiating fertility therapy should be postponed if you have flu-like symptoms and for two weeks if you have been in contact with an infected person or someone who has been in contact with a COVID-19 patient.

Things to understand if you're an infertility patient

Infertility is a life crisis and extremely stressful. However, undergoing care for infertility should not be. This is challenging in the midst of a public health emergency like the Coronavirus pandemic. Dr. Goral Gandhi says that as per the recommendations by the ASRM and ESHRE, no new fertility treatments should be started during this time.

Can Coronavirus be passed to a baby during pregnancy?

There is no elevated risk of becoming infected with Coronavirus during pregnancy. Goral Gandhi says that pregnant women who do contract the disease do not appear to be more susceptible to severe COVID-19 symptoms. There is also no evidence, as of now, that the virus can pass to the baby during pregnancy.

Goral Gandhi encourages the patients to try and avoid panicking during this process as frenzy and pain can have a huge impact on the wellbeing of the patient as well as the baby. Staying alert during these times is the way to battle this infection and everybody can win this together by cautiously watching their indications and rehearsing certain practices like social distancing.

Pre-Implantation Genetic Screening: Screening Your Embryos for Chromosomal Abnormalities

Increasing number of infertility cases is still one of the major health issues in India. Out of them, 60 percent of pregnancy losses are caused by genetic factors and add to that 2 to 3 percent of neonatal abnormalities, 50 percent of childhood disability and one to two percent of malignancies. Thankfully, today, new IVF and ART technologies are being devised so that patients can get the opportunity to give birth to healthy babies. Goral Gandhi, one of the eminent experts in the field, opines that amid the increasing cases of delayed and assisted pregnancy, genetic testing can be the shot in the arm.

"With the advancement in genetic technology, patients, especially those with genetic disorders of illnesses have been given the option to deliver genetically healthy children,” she further stated. One of the genetic testing processes is the pre-implantation genetic screening (PGS) which includes detection of genetic defects in embryos at the pre-implantation stage. According to the embryologist, this method is an ideal option for couples who have had child with genetic defects in the past or who are at a higher risk of having children with genetic abnormalities. The latter can be determined by various factors including the mother’s age (the older she is, higher is the possibility of genetic defects) and abnormal chromosome in any of the parents.

"With the help of PGS, embryos with a gene problem or abnormal number of chromosomes can be segregated from the normal ones, thus increasing the mother’s chances of giving birth to a healthy baby,”explains Dr Goral Gandhi, who is also the founder of Indo Nippon IVF. She also added that while PGS helps in eliminating any gene defect in an embryo, for a successful implantation of the healthy embryo, the uterus of the mother should have a receptive endometrium.