A Pandemic Pregnancy Is a More Dangerous Pregnancy

So much is still unknown about pregnancy and COVID-19. We do know that contracting the disease comes with increased risk of severe illness, and a higher risk of preterm birth. But how an infection affects a person at different stages of pregnancy? Or a developing fetus? No one knows for sure. Would vaccination help mitigate these risks? The vaccines were never tested on pregnant people. Unlike elective surgeries, many of which were rescheduled during surges of the disease, having a baby cannot be postponed. How much additional danger is associated with labor and delivery during this pandemic? And the decisions that parents of newborns face—how to manage the demands of a child’s early life, in isolation—what added toll