YOUR unborn baby could be at risk of catching Covid-19 from as early as the second week of pregnancy, doctors have warned.
Researchers have claimed that if a mother gets sick then the embryo could be susceptible to the virus.
This could affect the ability of the embryo to properly implant into the womb and could also pose risks for future foetal health.
Experts at the University of Cambridge used gene expression data for the study.
They found that the genes for proteins that make cells susceptible to infection are expressed in the embryo in the first 14 days of development.
This is an important stage during a pregnancy.
This is due to the fact that this is when the embryo attaches to the mother’s womb and undertakes a major remodelling of all of its tissues.
Gene expression is the process by which specific genes are activated to produce a required protein.
Genes encode proteins and proteins dictate cell function, and the thousands of genes expressed in a particular cell determine what it can do.
However, the scientists highlight that their findings have not been validated at the protein level, in stem cell embryo models or animal models.
Previous reports have suggested that if a mother contracts Covid-19 then the baby may be at risk.
In March it was also reported that a newborn baby in London had the virus.
At the start of the pandemic pregnant women were classed as vulnerable and advised to limit contact with others.
In May the Prime Minister said pregnant women did not have to shield but should stick to social distancing rules.
The Royal College Of Obstetricians And Gynaecologists also said that there was no evidence that pregnant women were at a higher risk of contracting the virus.
The study from the experts at Cambridge suggests that there is a potential route to an embryo that Covid could get to.
It does not show that the virus either does or is more likely to infect embryo cells.
Writing in the Open Biology journal, Professor David Glover from the University of Cambridge, and colleagues said: “Our present study offers an indication that the potential effect of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the early embryo should be further investigated using both stem cell models of the embryo and in the mouse.”
Despite this other experts claim that transmission of the virus to an unborn child is unlikely.
They claim that even if the baby does become infected then the outcomes are generally good.
Christoph Lees, professor of obstetrics, Imperial College London, said: “This is an intriguing laboratory based study using newly developed culture platforms that enable researchers to look at the expression of genes in the early human embryo.
“Some genes may be implicated in how the SARS-CoV-2 virus enters cells.
“The study finds that these genes might be present at a very early stage and raises the possibility – if this were the case – that the embryo might be susceptible to the virus.
“It is important to say that this work is at a very hypothetical stage – in other words, there are more question marks than there are answers.”
He highlighted that this was a laboratory study and would not mimic what might actually happen in the embryo.
Prof Lees added that there has been no evidence of an increased risk of miscarriage from the pregnancies that have been exposed to the virus.
Andrew Shennan, professor of obstetrics at the department of women and children’s health, King’s College London, said: “This work is well conducted science research that suggests the cells of babies in the womb can be infected by coronavirus in early pregnancy if they are exposed to the virus.
“However, an increasing evidence base suggests it is rare for the virus to cross the placenta in pregnancy.
“Even if foetal cells are infected, this research does not indicate they would be harmed. Most cells make a complete recovery after being infected with a virus.”
