New Push In North Texas For Pregnant Women To Get The COVID-19 Vaccine
FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - There's a new push for pregnant women to get a COVID-19 vaccine.
This comes as at least one local hospital system says it is seeing a rise in cases among moms-to-be.
Baylor Scott & White says they're seeing more cases among pregnant women, and more pregnant women needing hospitalization.
Meanwhile, The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists is now recommending the vaccine for those who are pregnant or nursing.
It's an option Ceceliana Carrasco didn't have when she had her baby boy back in December.
"It's really emotional because I didn't get to meet my baby until three weeks after he was born," Carrasco told CBS 11 News. She was 33 weeks pregnant when she was admitted to the hospital because of COVID-19. She said she remembers being intubated, but after that it's a blur. She doesn't even remember her son being born.
"He had to born by himself," she said. "He didn't have that mom-son moment, even my husband he didn't get to see him right away."
Dr. James Herd, The Chief Medical Officer at Baylor Scott & White All Saints Fort Worth, said they are seeing an uptick in cases among pregnant women.
"We're seeing more pregnant women in our ICU than we did back in January and February," Dr. Herd said.
Dr. Herd is also an OB/GYN.
He said COVID-19 can be complicated enough, but pregnancy adds another layer.
"Women require a little bit more oxygen, a higher oxygen saturation, to be able to pass an oxygen on to the baby," Dr. Herd explained.
He also said women's lungs can't expand the same way, especially in the third trimester. All of that, paired with extra fluid can lead to more problems with pulmonary edema, stiffer lungs and trouble ventilating.
Dr. Herd said the best precaution is vaccination.
He said thousands of women have been studied and researchers have found no increased instances of congenital abnormalities and no increased instances of preterm labor.
"If anything it seems to be protective," Dr. Herd said. "Obviously it protects you against severe illness if you were to get SARS-CoV-2, the COVID virus, and it confers some immunity the baby, which is great."
It's a choice Carrasco didn't have, and one she asks other mothers to talk to their doctors about.
"It could prevent you from dying from or being in where I was, you know intubated and not even get it to meet your baby," she said.
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ACOG and SMFM Recommend COVID-19 Vaccination for Pregnant Individuals
