Pregnant women who develop COVID-19 antibodies often transfer them to their babies in the womb, a new study shows.
More than 1,400 mothers and newborns were studied, and researchers found antibodies were transferred across the placenta in 72 of 83 infected or previously infected pregnant women, according to the study by the Journal of the American Medical Association’s JAMA Pediatrics published on Friday.
“Our findings demonstrate the potential for maternally derived SARS-CoV-2 specific antibodies to provide neonatal protection from coronavirus disease 2019,” the study says.
Babies born to COVID-19 positive mothers did not develop an infection, and 60 percent of women who had coronavirus antibodies reported no symptoms, according to the researchers.
The finding also recommends expecting mothers should also get vaccinated against other viruses such as influenza so they can protect themselves and their babies.
