Recommendations for antepartum, intrapartum and postpartum care for patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last updated: September 29, 2022
- Any pregnant woman/individual who develops an influenza-like illness should be evaluated for COVID-19 as per routine screening. The severity of symptoms for all patients should be assessed to determine if hospitalization is appropriate.
- If an individual develops symptoms consisted with COVID-19, they should be tested in accordance with the current testing criteria. Pregnant individuals are eligible for testing as diagnosis of COVID-19 impacts their care.
- If an individual develops COVID-19 at any time in pregnancy, the following are recommended:
- Growth US in the third trimester of pregnancy or sooner, if clinically indicated
- In-person care, once outside of period of infectivity (unless clinically indicated to see sooner), to facilitate clinical assessment for growth restriction and continued careful monitoring for maternal and fetal well being
- Delivery in hospital with Electronic Fetal Monitoring during labour
- Placenta to be sent to pathology in any case where the pregnant individual required hospitalization or ICU admission for COVID-19 infection. Placentas are routinely sent for evaluation in the context of preterm birth, fetal growth restriction, stillbirth or other adverse outcomes; however, please flag the COVID-19 infection on the placental requisition if the individual had COVID-19 in pregnancy.
- Generally, pregnancy is not a contraindication for most therapeutics for COVID-19, and therefore should be considered, where appropriate, to reduce morbidity and mortality. Therapeutics in pregnancy are covered on the Treatments page.
- Routine testing of the neonate is not recommended, unless the pregnant mother/individual's test result has come back positive for SARS-CoV-2 and they are within the infectious window of testing for COVID-19 disease.
- The Reproductive Infectious Diseases Service at BC Women’s Hospital is available for phone consultation for health care providers of pregnant women with documented or suspected COVID-19 in pregnancy if clarification is required for their care (604-875-2161).
The Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada (SOGC) also has information about COVID-19 in pregnancy
on their website.
Cultural Humility, Cultural Safety and Trauma-Informed Care help to create an equitable and respectful health care environment and these approaches are key to improving health services for Indigenous people.
Perinatal Health, Cultural Safety in COVID-19 provides guidance on
- Why Cultural Safety, Cultural Humility and Trauma-Informed Care are important during COVID-19
- Providing Culturally Safe care during COVID-19
- Special considerations for serving rural and remote communities
- Family planning
- Prenatal care
- Labour and delivery
- Postpartum care
